BATON ROUGE -- Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal has picked a Pineville lawyer to serve as his top legal adviser.

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Congressman Bobby Jindal

Jimmy Faircloth will be the incoming governor's executive counsel when Jindal takes office next month, Jindal's office announced Friday.

Faircloth is the founder and managing partner of an Alexandria law firm that he has run since 1995. He also serves as the city attorney for Pineville. Jindal's office says Faircloth specializes in cases involving government and municipal law and complex commercial ligitation.

Faircloth worked as an attorney for the Louisiana Coushatta Tribe during the tribe's scandal-ridden period involving high-powered Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, representing tribe members who brought to light Abramoff's illegal use of tribal money.

In January 2006, Abramoff admitted pocketing nearly $11.5 million of the more than $30 million paid by the Coushatta Tribe for lobbying to protect its lucrative casino from competition.

Abramoff pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud and agreed to cooperate in an influence-peddling investigation involving powerful members of Congress.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)