Wal-Mart fires lobbyist linked to Abramoff

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has fired a top lobbyist, who is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges in Washington, a company official said.

Lobbyist Jim Hirni faces charges in connection with the federal corruption scandal involving Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is serving a federal prison term, The Hill reported Monday.

Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar confirmed in an e-mail that the company, based in Bentonville, Ark., fired Hirni Wednesday. Tovar said the charges against Hirni were unrelated to his work for Wal-Mart.

"Based on Mr. Hirni's (expected) guilty plea which relates to conduct occurring prior to and unrelated to his employment by the company, we terminated his employment," Tovar said.

Hirni is a former senior aide to then-Sen. Tim Hutchison, R-Ark. He joined Wal-Mart full-time in 2007 as executive director of Republican outreach.

He previously worked at Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal and then worked with Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig before joining Cassidy & Associates.

A federal judge in September imposed an extra four years on Abramoff's sentence and ordered him to pay $15 million in restitution. Ellen Segal Huvelle ordered Abramoff to serve 48 months in addition to the two years he already served for a separate case.

Abramoff had pleaded guilty to corruption charges involving lawmakers, including some that involved defrauding Indian tribes of tens of millions of dollars.