Higher Logic

Congressman Resigns After Bribery Plea

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham said Monday he is resigning from Congress after pleading guilty to taking more than $2 million in bribes in a criminal conspiracy involving at least three defense contractors.

Asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted cash and gifts and then tried to influence the Defense Department on behalf of the donors, Cunningham said, "Yes, your honor."

Cunningham's plea agreement with federal prosecutors stemmed from an investigation of the 2003 sale of his California home to a defense contractor for an inflated price.

Under the agreement, Cunningham acknowledged a conspiracy to commit bribery, mail and wire fraud and tax evasion. He also pleaded guilty to a separate tax evasion violation for failing to disclose income in 2004.

Prosecutors said Cunningham had taken bribes from contractors, which enabled him to buy a mansion, a suburban Washington condominium, a yacht and a Rolls Royce.

A government statement said Cunningham received at least $2.4 million in bribes and will forfeit his $2.5 million mansion and about $1.8 million in cash, antiques, furnishings and other valuables.

The charges carry a potential penalty of 10 years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27.

HL: Good. He should get those 10 years. Corporate and "blue collar" crime take far much more money than petty crimes...

"The citizens who elected Cunningham assumed that he would do his best for them," said U.S. Attorney Carol Lam. "Instead, he did the worst thing an elected official can do—he enriched himself through his position and violated the trust of those who put him there."

HL: I can think of some other people who are en"riching" themselves...

After entering his plea in San Diego, California, the eight-term California Republican said he was "deeply sorry."

"The truth is I broke the law, concealed my conduct and disgraced my office," he told reporters, his voice strained with emotion. "I know I will forfeit my reputation, my worldly possessions—most importantly the trust of my friends and family."

Cunningham, 63, sold his San Diego-area house in 2003 for $1.6 million to defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who then sold it for $700,000 less.

The transactions sparked allegations that the contractor had bought the house at the higher price as payback for Cunningham's pressing the Pentagon to award contracts to the defense contractor.

Cunningham, whose annual salary is about $160,000, then bought the $2.5 million mansion.

HL: That's another thing, these guys get way too much money.

Over the summer, federal agents raided Cunningham's California home, a boat he lives on while in Washington and the Washington offices of Wade's former employer, defense contractor MZM Inc.

A decorated former Navy fighter pilot who shot down five MIGs in Vietnam, Cunningham served as an instructor in the Navy's famed "Top Gun" program.

"I learned in Vietnam that the true measure of a man is how he responds to adversity," he said. "I can't undo what I have done, but I can atone."

"I'm almost 65 years old and I enter the twilight of my life. I intend to use the remaining time that God grants me to make amends, and I will."

He left the podium without responding to questions.

Cunningham was first elected in 1990. He represented the 50th District, which includes parts of San Diego and its northern suburbs. The district is solidly Republican.

He served on a powerful defense appropriations subcommittee that approves spending for defense programs.

Cunningham said in July that he wouldn't seek a ninth term next year; denying any wrongdoing at the time, he said that he intended to finish the remainder of his current term.

The congressman said then that he decided not to run for re-election in part because of the toll the investigation had taken on his family and standing in the community.

"I publicly declared my innocence because I was not strong enough to face the truth," he said Monday. "So I misled my family, friends, staff, colleagues, the public, and even myself."

In a written statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said the case "is just the latest example of the culture of corruption that pervades the Republican-controlled Congress, which ignores the needs of the American people to serve wealthy special interests and their cronies."

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Niteshift

He deserves to go to jail.

It's kind of sad. He did have a distinguished military career and did a number of good things in Congress, but his legacy will be this one.

The attempts by Pelosi and other uber-liberals to make this a "see, it's Republican's fault" campaign is stupid and will most likely be counter-productive.

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Higher Logic

What do you mean by "see, it's the Republican's fault" though? I see it as just personal gain if anything.

killer12382

Democrats....Republicans....just different sides of the same bad penny. If you think this guy is the only one taking bribes, you're greatly mistaken. Oh he took the bribes directly while most of the others do it indirectly. its called influence peddling. Its what makes Washington work so well and have only the best interests of the american people in mind while it spends our trillions of taxpayer dollars.

Niteshift

What do you mean by "see, it's the Republican's fault" though?

I mean this kind of quote from the article you posted:

"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said the case "is just the latest example of the culture of corruption that pervades the Republican-controlled Congress, which ignores the needs of the American people to serve wealthy special interests and their cronies."

Cassius

Yeah, cheap shot. Besides, Democrats could be said to be ignoring the needs of the American people to serve poor special interests and their cronies. Go Libertarians!

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