NASA Official Guilty of Ethics Violations

A former top NASA official has been found guilty of breaking ethics laws by steering nearly $10 million of the agency's funds to a consulting client.

A jury found Courtney Stadd of Bethesda, Md., illegally benefited a private client while on the agency's payroll and lied to ethics officials.

Stadd was NASA's chief of staff from 2001-2003. He left to start a consulting business, but came back temporarily in 2005 to help a new administrator reorganize the agency.

During that time, he steered $12 million in agency funds for earth science research to the state of Mississippi. One of his clients, Mississippi State University, ended up with $9.6 million.

He faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 6.