Ex-U.S. official indicted in Abramoff case

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A former U.S. government official was indicted Friday on corruption charges in the ongoing investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, officials said.

The indictment charges Horace Cooper, 44, of Lorton, Va., with one count each of conspiracy, fraudulent concealment and obstruction of an official proceeding, and two counts of making false statements, the Justice Department said in a release.

Cooper, a former congressional staffer and chief of staff at two federal agencies, will appear in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Sept. 9.

The indictment alleged Cooper solicited and received from Abramoff and his colleagues thousands of dollars' worth of gifts, such as tickets to sporting events, concerts and free meals, in exchange for using his position in government to advance interests of Abramoff and his clients.

The indictment also charged that Cooper hid his relationship with Abramoff and his associates by failing to report gifts on his federal financial disclosure forms, and made false statements on his 2003 and 2004 Executive Branch Public Financial Disclosure Reports.

The true bill claimed Cooper obstructed a grand jury investigation by lying to federal law enforcement officials and to a grand jury.

The department said 20 people, including lobbyists and public officials, pleaded guilty, been convicted or are awaiting trial in the investigation into the activities of Abramoff and his associates. Abramoff pleaded guilty in January 2006 to corruption charges involving several lawmakers and aides and sentenced in September 2008 to 48 months in prison. He is cooperating in the investigation, the department said.