Posted on 11/28/2005 11:50:36 AM PST by standingfirm
SAN DIEGO — Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges involving the sale of his home two years ago to a defense contractor at an inflated price.
Admitting to a judge that he took bribes, Cunningham entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004.
Cunningham, 63, and his wife, Nancy, used the proceeds from the $1,675,000 sale to defense contractor Mitchell Wade to buy a $2.55 million mansion in ritzy Rancho Santa Fe. Wade put the Del Mar house back on the market and sold it after nearly a year for $975,000 — a loss of $700,000.
Cunningham answered "yes, Your Honor" when asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted bribes from someone in exchange for his performance of official duties.
Cunningham, an eight-term congressman, announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year. The former Vietnam War flying ace is known on Capitol Hill for his interest in defense issues and his occasional temperamental outbursts.
He drew little notice outside his San Diego-area district before the San Diego Union-Tribune reported last June that he'd sold the home to Wade
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Besides, proving that I was bribed is a hard charge to prove. So there's really no way that the guy doing the bribing is going to go to jail.
Seduced by the dark side. Because of his faith, I believe he will turn the worst experience of his life into his best experience. Often you have to hit bottom before you can rise in His grace.
This 'POS' you refer to is a genuine war hero. A Vietnam ace.
Not being a democrat, I agree they should throw the book at him. The only problem I have is all the crooks from the Clinton scandal that skated.
Not being a democrat, I agree they should throw the book at him.
Problem is, there are no more "books" on the shelf. They were all thrown at Clinton, and they lay tepidly at Clinton's feet, and he stepped smugly over them. Duke became an Ace in vietnam, and now he must start below ground zero. Clinto avoided vietnam, was impeached as president, and now is getting 100,000 speaking gigs. Have faith, Duke and repair your soul.
Senator Clinton: "At least I had the decency to return a couple of U-Haul truckloads!"
Yes, he was. He's also a POS.
He not only abused the public trust when he sold his office, he sold out the troops when he took bribes for military contracts from unworthy companies.
Being a war hero and a POS are not mutually exclusive. Cunningham has proven that.
Anybody else want to jump in here and kick the war hero while he's down? You might not get another chance!
Come on all you insecure, corrected-vision types -- You know you want to! Put yourself above the Fighter Pilot! Let those self-righteous military types take a thumb in the eye for once!
Who's next!?
Pathetic.
I will not kick Cunningham for his fighter pilot skill. For that he deserves our praise, and our thanks.
But, being his age, and having been offered bribes of various kinds throughout our business lives, I will say that I am sad he didn't resist the temptation. Sure, we would have made a lot more money, probably had a lot more "social clout", etc....
But, when you sit on the john, you have to face yourself, and what your honor and integrity means to you. Is it for sale to the highest bidder?
I feel sorry for him, and hope he can forgive himself. I wish he could have chosen the harder right, instead of the easier wrong. At least he knows that there is a difference.
"Come on all you insecure, corrected-vision types -- You know you want to! Put yourself above the Fighter Pilot!"
Insecurity has little to do with it. Taking bribes for whatever reason to allow a contractor an inside track to sell their wares, which if you read below is quite significant in their importance:
"MZM Inc. is a high-tech national security firm based in Washington, D.C. The private firm provides intelligence gathering, technology and homeland security analysis and consulting for both international and domestic governments and private-sector clients. The firm also provides consulting on political and public message strategies. Its government clients include Congress, the White House, the Defense Department, the U.S. intelligence community, the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force and state and local governments, according to the company's Web site. MZM refused to provide any information, however, about its corporate structure, including names of other principals.
In addition to its D.C. headquarters, MZM has field offices in Miami, Tampa, San Antonio, San Diego and Suffolk, Va. The company employs about 70 people."
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&ddlC=40
With this said, did we get the best product, through Cunningham's bribery to assist in protecting our nation? Or has our nation's security been compromised for use of yacht and a party for his daughter? That is the real question.
It was not a "mistake". A mistake is when you accidentally walk home with someone else's wallet. When you take a bribe you deliberately commit a crime. Don't sugar coat it. He was a good soldier who became a bad man. May he find redemption in prison.
I agree somewhat with your sentiments.
I live in Randy "Duke" Cunningham's district. I voted for him every election because he had a solid conservative voting record. He was one of the few people in Congress that I thought could be trusted (as much as any politician can be trusted). In accepting the bribes, he has acted dishonorably and criminally in his capacity as congressman, betrayed the trust of his supporters, and brought shame to himself and his family. It is only right that he should FULLY pay for his crime.
I didn't know much about his military service, but it seems, as attested to by many, that there's no question he was an exceptional pilot during the Vietnam war and very much earned the medals he had received. I honor his courageous service to our country. I agree with what someone here said that "politics tends to either attract corrupt people, or makes good people corrupt". Though in the end it doesn't really make much of a difference, I'd like to believe he was of the latter kind.
As a fellow human being, I pray for him. Often, it is not until we lose everything and hit rock bottom (because of our own bad choices) do we really examine our lives. Only after honest soul-searching do we finally clearly see that we are all sinners, but that when we cry out to Him with true repentance, the Lord is forgiving and merciful.
i believe that pleading guilty places any government benefits at risk. depends on what judge decides during sentencing...
by the way, sorry if its already been posted but here is a copy of the plea agreement; complete with descriptions of every bribe, and the furniture/cars/services duke had the contractor pay for...
http://news.findlaw.com/nytimes/docs/crim/uscnnghm112805plea.pdf
What confuses me is just how unnecessary the corruption was.
This guy was a war hero, and a highly respected congressman well versed in the military/pentagon culture and obviously connected to the social/economic circle of the contractors etc. If he was hard up for cash what was to stop him from leaving congress and starting up a legitimate "consulting/lobbying" firm. He probably could've made 2 million a YEAR, instead of over the last 5 years.
Furthermore what kind of idiot takes a bribe in such an obvious and easily discoverable manner? Does he not realize that just about anyone can look up home/land purchasing information, just by logging on to the local auditor's website?
A mistake is driving through a red light.
Knowingly taking bribes to the tune of $2,000,000 is not a "mistake".
It is the behavior of a very corrupt individual.
Cunningham was just one foolish enough to get caught and honest enough to admit it. I know for a fact that other US Congressmen have been guilty of taking bribes offered by China, they just did not get caught.
Who caught him: a GOP Justice Departmet . Guilty...yes. And he was contrite. I hope he is somewhat comforted tonight. His fight is over. The GOP will easilly distance itself from him. Sad FReegards....
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