Griles Asks Judge for Snowmobile

J. Steven Griles, motorized recreation industry guru and former Interior Deputy Secretary, lied to Congress during the investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He pleaded guilty and now he's asking prosecutors to reduce his sentence to include community service. Problem is, the organization he wants to do community service with is the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), a lobby organization which benefited from Griles while he was in office.

ARC and its pro-snowmobile stance has miffed many environmentalists seeking defend the National Parks. Griles is asking the judge to do PR work and fundraising for ARC instead of five months in jail. He's already had 91 people write letters to the court supporting leniency. His ex-girlfriend, Italia Federici, did not write a letter since she was busy pleading guilty to tax and perjury charges. Neither did his wife, Sue Ellen Wooldridge. She was secretly dating Griles while she was the Interior solicitor and later working as a top level official in the Department of Justice.