by John Heilprin

Washington, D.C. (AP)

The Interior Department’s former No. 2 official has been told by federal investigators that he is a target in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe.

J. Steven Griles, former deputy interior secretary during President Bush’s first term, was notified by letter and told of possible charges at a meeting recently with Justice Department prosecutors, people familiar with the probe said Jan. 10, speaking on condition of anonymity because the inquiry continues.

Griles told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in 2005 that Abramoff had no special access to him. Griles’ attorney, Barry Hartman, has said that committee’s report last September found no evidence that Griles acted improperly.

Griles has since resumed his work as an energy lobbyist, which he did before joining Interior. It’s those ties that were the subject of a host of internal probes while he was at the department.

The Abramoff grand jury has heard from several Interior officials, past and present, in recent days. Roger Stillwell, a former Interior employee who provided Abramoff with information from the department, was sentenced to two years probation and fined $1,000 on Jan. 9 for failing to report gifts of football and concert tickets from Abramoff.

Prosecutors are investigating Griles now for possible criminal charges that include lying to Congress and honest service fraud. The latter is a 1988 law saying citizens are guaranteed a right to the “honest services” of public officials.

The charges involve questions about whether Griles falsely testified in 2005 before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee about Abramoff’s attempts to hire Griles away from Interior.

The Senate committee’s investigation and e-mails detailed numerous contacts with Abramoff and Italia Federici, who was a go-between for Griles and Abramoff.