Former DOE Official Pleads Guilty to Fraud

[maddezmom]

By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
Sat Apr 30,12:55 AM ET



WASHINGTON - A former deputy undersecretary for safe and drug free schools at the Education Department pleaded guilty to charging the government for personal travel, including trips to Texas where he continued working as a visiting judge while employed in Washington.


Eric Andell pleaded guilty to one count of conflict of interest, the Justice Department said Friday. He faces up to one year in prison and has agreed to reimburse the federal government $8,659.85. He will be sentenced July 29.

The charge stems from expenses on 14 trips from late 2002 to September 2003 that federal authorities say were motivated in part by his desire to accrue service time toward receipt of a pension from the state of Texas.

Andell, a former justice for the First Court of Appeals in Texas, made seven trips to Houston where he acted as a visiting state judge, according to documents filed in the case.

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more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050430/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/education_official_plea/nc:693;_ylt=AvY0W_pQF3Y8_BRx8dGGPpoD5gcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Lerkfish]

1. what is it with politicians and free travel?

I mean, the rest of us pay for our own vacations....this happens on every level, national, state, city and county. They ALL seem to at some point lie about travel expenses.

schmucks.