Selection of Jurors to begin in Wilkes Case

The San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 10/3/07 | Greg Moran

[jamese777]

Contractor faces charges in Cunningham scandal

Lavish dinners and fat government contracts, money laundering and “earmarks,” private plane rides and prostitutes – this will be no ordinary white-collar criminal trial. Jury selection begins today in San Diego federal court in the trial of Brent Wilkes, a once-highflying Poway defense contractor who federal prosecutors say was at the center of the largest congressional corruption investigation ever. The Wilkes case will be the first criminal trial arising from the bribery and gift-giving scandal that brought down Randy “Duke” Cunningham, a former Republican congressman from Rancho Santa Fe.

If a jury is picked today, federal prosecutors will make an opening statement. The trial would resume Tuesday, when lawyer Mark Geragos would outline Wilkes' defense.

The case is voluminous; prosecutors have amassed 1,077 exhibits and assembled hundreds of thousands of documents. Wilkes faces 25 charges of conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and “honest services” wire fraud.

Cunningham pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax-evasion charges and is serving an eight-year, four-month prison sentence. He originally was sent to a federal prison in Tucson, but for the past few months he has been in the San Diego federal jail, helping prosecutors prepare the case.

His name is on a list of 63 potential witnesses prosecutors could call to testify.

[RC2]

Isn’t Diane Fienstien’s husband tied in with this guy. He has major contracts in Iraq and Diane was on the committee that picked the contractors.

[jamese777]

“Isn’t Diane Fienstien’s husband tied in with this guy. He has major contracts in Iraq and Diane was on the committee that picked the contractors.”

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If he is (Richard Blum) he’s probably on the list of those 63 witnesses that Mark Geragos intends to call.

[Keith]

Wesley Clark is on trial?