Republican environmental advocate, and co-founder of CREA, Italia Federici was sentenced yesterday to a mere two months in a half-way house for tax evasion and obstructing a Senate investigation. Ms Federici, who once worked on former Interior Secretary Gale Norton’s Senate bid, was romantically involved with the number two official at the Department of the Interior, J. Stevens Griles at the same time CREA was receiving checks totaling $500,000. from indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff. Said her lawyer,
“each man had his own agenda and each man used her for their own pleasure and gain”.
Washington Post story here.
Courtroom sketching is a form of visual journalism or reportage drawing that is slowly dying out. Where once upon a time news organization each had their own artist covering a story, today a “pool” artist often sketches for all. It is a demanding and stressful discipline where the drawing is often done directly and under tight deadline.
After forty-five years of news sketching in courtrooms and congress I’m calling it quits. It’s been sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, almost always interesting. I’ve been lucky to work with some really great people. Don’t think I’ll miss it, but a little scared of not having a deadline.
While I won’t be sketching in court anymore, I may continue to post to this blog from time to time. Not sure what that might be. I’m about to start a new assignment documenting infrastructure and construction. Could be interesting.
