Griles begins prison term

The highest-ranking Bush administration official to be convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal is behind bars.

Former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles, 59, reported to the low-security federal correctional institution in Petersburg, Va., on Sept. 14, according to court documents. U.S. Bureau of Prisons data indicates that his expected release date is July 13, 2008.

{mosads}Griles was sentenced to 10 months in prison in June.  

During his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle added five months to his sentence, saying Griles had violated the public trust.

The former administration official pleaded guilty in March to lying to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee about the access and influence he had given to Abramoff, a Bush “pioneer” fundraiser, on Indian casino issues.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) led the probe. Italia Federici, a former campaign aide to former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, has also pleaded guilty to lying to the committee and is to be sentenced in November. Huvelle recently granted her greater freedom to travel.

Petersburg is the prison that Griles had requested, since he is originally from southern Virginia.

According to federal officials, low-security prisons have double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and “strong work and program components.” The staff-to-inmate ratio is higher than that of minimum-security facilities.