Free Republic

Felons Seeking Bush Pardon Near a Record By CHARLIE SAVAGE WASHINGTON — Felons are asking President Bush for pardons and commutations at historic levels as he nears his final months in office, a time when many other presidents have granted a flurry of clemency requests. Among the petitioners is Michael Milken, the billionaire former junk bond king turned philanthropist, who is seeking a pardon for his 1990 conviction for securities fraud, the Justice Department said. Mr. Milken sought a pardon eight years ago from President Bill Clinton, and submitted a new petition in June. In addition, prominent federal inmates are...

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2006 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes: 1. Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist – 2. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 3. Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) 4. Former Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX) 5. Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) 6. Rep. Denny Hastert (R-IL) 7. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) 8. Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D-LA) 9. Former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) 10. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) 6 Dishonorable Mentions: 1. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) 2....

Federal agents yesterday searched the CIA offices and Northern Virginia home of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, the spy agency's No. 3 official who was forced to resign this week amid a widening criminal investigation into allegations of government corruption and bribery. ...Aside from well-publicized espionage cases, veteran intelligence officers said they could not recall another time when FBI agents picked through offices at the CIA's Langley headquarters..Earlier this year, however, he was placed under investigation by the CIA inspector general and federal prosecutors after allegations that he helped a high school friend, Brent R. Wilkes, obtain CIA contracts and improperly accepted...

Latest poll has Busby, Bilbray tied at 45% each in race to succeed ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

POWAY, Calif. (Dec. 7) - Federal agents gave reporters a peek Tuesday at about 40 pieces of antique furniture accepted by a former congressman as part of $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors seeking government business.

Cronies' deals may have put GIs at risk By George E. Condon Jr., Copley News Service WASHINGTON - Rep. Randy Cunningham's dramatic fall from power represents more than just a historic case of personal corruption unprecedented in the long history of the Congress. It is also betrayal on a grand scale. Cunningham betrayed his friends, his constituents, his colleagues and, certainly most important, the U.S. combat troops he so loudly championed. By steering contracts vital to the Iraq war effort to cronies, he may have put those troops at greater risk by judging contracts more for what they would do...

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has asked committee attorneys to review former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's work on the panel to ensure he didn't improperly influence committee actions or decisions. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., ordered the review after learning of Cunningham's guilty plea Monday to charges of corruption and tax evasion for taking $2.4 million in bribes, mostly from two defense contractors, in exchange for steering government business their way, said committee spokesman Jamal Ware. Hoekstra also ordered Cunningham's access to classified information terminated immediately, Ware said Wednesday. "He believes these concerns are incredibly serious, and that there...

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 - Concerned that the stain of former Representative Randy Cunningham's admission that he took bribes and evaded taxes could damage the party's prospects, President Bush and other Republican leaders issued strong denunciations of Mr. Cunningham's actions on Tuesday. With several investigations focusing on top Republican officials and growing public unease over the war in Iraq and economic policy at home, party leaders moved to distance themselves and their party from Mr. Cunningham's felony plea.

The difference between Randy "Duke" Cunningham and many of his Congressional colleagues is one of degree, not kind. He is an extreme manifestation of a corruption pervasive in Congress, a crookedness that spreads with the size of the federal government. Had Cunningham just waited a little while and become a defense firm lobbyist, he could have received his Rolls-Royce, yacht, and Louis-Philippe commode legally. In Washington, D.C., cause and effect are never examined honestly. Politicians are expert at bemoaning a troubling effect even as they deepen its cause. So while the Democrats crank up their "culture of corruption" campaign and...

Some of the payments accepted by Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham as detailed in his plea agreement: • $200,000 toward the purchase of his Arlington, Va., condominium. • $140,000 to a third party for the "Duke-Stir" yacht, which was moved to his boat slip for his use. • $16,867.13 to a marine services company for repairs to his own yacht, the "Kelly C." • $12,000 paid to an antique store for three night stands, a leaded glass cabinet, a washstand, a buffet and four armoires. • $6,632 paid to a furniture store for a leather sofa and a sleigh-style bed. •...

ROSEDALE, N.Y. – In its third wave of raids linked to the investigation of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, federal agents on Thursday searched the New York home and office of a controversial businessman who has had a series of financial dealings with the congressman. Agents seized records belonging to Thomas Kontogiannis, a Long Island developer who pleaded guilty in 2002 to bribery and kickback charges in connection with a $6.3 million bid-rigging scheme involving the New York public schools. Kontogiannis has known Cunningham since shortly after the Rancho Santa Fe Republican arrived in Washington 15 years ago as a freshman...

2006 Congressional Election Cycle Has Begun  50 Republican Incumbents Undeserving of Support by Pro-life Voters   The Republican National Coalition for Life PAC is currently receiving phone calls from Republican candidates for Congress in the 2006 Republican primaries. Our usual practice is to mail our Candidate Questionnaire to Republican candidates in each district as soon as the filing deadlines are reached. When we receive the results of the questionnaire, they are recorded on our website at www.RNCLife.org so that voters can see for themselves it those seeking to represent them in Washington are truly pro-life. We hope that this service...

HOWARD KALOOGIAN FOR CONGRESShttp://www.kaloogianforcongress.com 50th Congressional Seat Upon learning of the decision of Congressman Duke Cunningham not to seek re-election, the Honorable Howard Kaloogian, who served as State Assemblyman for northern San Diego County from 1994-2000, will soon formally announce his candidacy for the 50th Congressional district. “I will be officially announcing my candidacy once I have returned from my mission of supporting our troops in Iraq,” Kaloogian said as he travelled from Baghdad, Iraq, to Kuwait City, Kuwait in his capacity as Chairman of Move America Forward. Kaloogian and Move America Forward (in conjunction with the RighTalk Radio Network)...

WASHINGTON – When Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham first responded to questions about his dealings with defense contractor Mitchell Wade, he stressed that his position on the House defense appropriations subcommittee did not enable him to secure contracts for Wade's company, MZM Inc. "I do not have the authority or ability to award a contract to Mr. Wade's company and no single member of Congress, no matter how influential, can dictate to the armed services who will be awarded contracts," the Rancho Santa Fe Republican said during a June 23 news conference. While Cunningham's claim is technically correct under the government's...

The U.S. Attorney's Office has filed a secret lawsuit against Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham that contends he should forfeit his Rancho Santa Fe home to the government because it was purchased with illegally obtained money. Notice of the lawsuit and the government's interest in the property was filed with the San Diego County Recorder's Office. Cunningham's attorney, Lee Blalack, declined to comment yesterday on the lawsuit but said he had filed a motion challenging the U.S. government's legal claim on the house. The home – a five-bedroom, eight-bath Spanish colonial estate on Via Del Charro – was listed for sale...

Claim filed on Cunningham house          U.S. lawsuit seeks forfeiture of property By Dani Dodge UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER August 18, 2005 Randy "Duke" Cunningham's Rancho Santa Fe home was listed for $3.5 million. Embattled MZM sold to investment group The U.S. Attorney's Office has filed a secret lawsuit against Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham that contends he should forfeit his Rancho Santa Fe home to the government because it was purchased with illegally obtained money. Notice of the lawsuit and the government's interest in the property was filed with the San Diego County Recorder's Office. Cunningham's attorney, Lee Blalack, declined to...

Democrat has all the buzz in 50th district race UNION-TRIBUNE August 8, 2005 Francine Busby is feeling on fire. Thanks to Duke's hari-kari, his effervescent foe has morphed into the It Girl. Why, Busby's so hot she could change her name to Buzz-by. "This is going to be the hottest race on the West Coast," the Cardiff candidate pledges with a sunny, know-it-all grin. "This is going to be the most competitively fought congressional seat this side of the Rockies. It's not a blow-away for Republicans in this district anymore." Two months ago, you'd have said Busby was blowing smoke...

SAN MARCOS, Calif. — A California congressman who is under federal investigation for his dealings with a defense contractor announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (search) made the disclosure at a hastily arranged news conference. "The time has come for me to conclude the public chapter in my life," the eight-term San Diego-area Republican said, reading from a brief written statement. "Quite simply, right now I may not be the strongest candidate."

California Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham has just announced in a press conference that he will not stand for re-election.

House Democrats said Tuesday that they would run newspaper advertisements this week criticizing the ethics of six House Republicans, including Representative Randy Cunningham of California, who is under investigation by a grand jury looking into his ties with a military contractor.... Mr. Wade paid $1,675,000 for the house and sold it nearly a year later for $975,000, for a loss of $700,000 in one of the hottest housing markets. Mr. Cunningham said he "showed poor judgment" in selling his house to a friend who did business with the government. Moreover, he said, "I showed poor judgment in not listing the...

Agents raid Cunningham home, MZM office, yacht (Rep. Duke Cunningham) Lawmaker's lawyers: Surprise searches an 'appalling abuse' WASHINGTON – In a dramatic sign of a fast-moving, bicoastal investigation, federal agents searched the Rancho Santa Fe home of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham yesterday, along with the Washington office of a defense contractor linked to the Republican congressman and the yacht where Cunningham had lived. Cunningham's lawyers criticized the government's actions as an "appalling abuse of government power" and "strong arm tactics." The federal task force that conducted the coordinated, surprise raids on opposite coasts included agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office...

Federal agents on Friday searched the offices of a defense contractor tied to Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) as well as the boat Cunningham lived on for more than a year, the latest sign of a growing investigation into the relationship between Cunningham and Mitchell Wade, founder of MZM Inc.

FBI Searches Home of California Congressman at Center of Federal ProbeBy Seth Hettena Associated Press Writer Published: Jul 1, 2005 SAN DIEGO (AP) - Federal agents on Friday searched the California home of U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, along with the yacht in Washington, D.C., where he has been living, the FBI said. Agents from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and the Defense Department's criminal investigative service also searched the Washington offices of a defense firm whose founder bought the congressman's previous home, leading to a federal investigation, said Debra Weierman, a Washington FBI spokeswoman. Cunningham, 63, has said that...

After 11 days of near silence in the face of mounting controversy, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham released a three-page statement yesterday acknowledging that he "showed poor judgment" in selling his Del Mar house to "a friend who does business with the government." The Rancho Santa Fe Republican added that he welcomed "all appropriate investigations" and expressed confidence that they would show he "acted honorably and honestly." The controversy stems from Cunningham's 2003 sale of his Del Mar house to Mitchell Wade, a Cunningham friend and founder of the Washington, D.C.-based defense contracting company MZM Inc. Wade put the house back...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Randy ''Duke'' Cunningham, R-Calif., told the House on Monday that he's been served with a document subpoena in Imperial County, Calif., and plans to comply with it. His announcement was read on the House floor by a congressional clerk as the House convened for the week. Cunningham spokesman Mark Olson said the subpoena, issued by Imperial County Superior Court, concerned constituent casework, but he declined to give further details. He said it was unrelated to a real estate transaction by Cunningham that federal authorities in California are investigating. A federal grand jury has reportedly convened in...

WASHINGTON – The FBI has opened an inquiry into Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's 2003 sale of his Del Mar house to a defense contractor, who later sold it at a $700,000 loss, a Justice Department official said yesterday. The action comes amid fresh signs of unusual personal ties between Cunningham and the defense contractor, who named a 42-foot yacht after the Rancho Santa Fe Republican and turned it over to him to use while in Washington. The Justice Department official, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified because of the inquiry's preliminary nature, would not comment about...

Has Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham Been Bribed? I can't say that I know a whole about California Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) -- well, other than the fact that he looks to be about as crooked as dog's hindleg. Take a look at this sweet deal Cunningham got and tell me it doesn't look like just as sleazy as Hillary Clinton's cattle futures pay-off: "A defense contractor with ties to Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of the congressman's Del Mar house while the congressman, a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was...

A defense contractor with ties to Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of the congressman's Del Mar house while the congressman, a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was supporting the contractor's efforts to get tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Pentagon. Mitchell Wade bought the San Diego Republican's house for $1,675,000 in November 2003 and put it back on the market almost immediately for roughly the same price. But the Del Mar house languished unsold and vacant for 261 days before selling for $975,000. Meanwhile, Cunningham used the proceeds of...

Ask President Bush To Make To Make The Mount Soledad Cross A National MonumentSave the historic cross from another ACLU-backed removal A 43-foot tall cross that was erected atop Mt. Soledad in San Diego, California 50 years ago to honor our nation’s veterans faces imminent removal unless we act now. An ACLU-backed atheist has waged a 15-year court battle to force removal of the famous cross. And a federal court has ordered the city of San Diego to remove it. However, one option remains. Federal law known as the Antiquities Act authorizes the President to designate landmarks and structures...

"Sen. John F. Kerry sent 28 letters in behalf of a San Diego defense contractor who pleaded guilty last week to illegally funneling campaign contributions to the Massachusetts senator and four other congressmen," the Los Angeles Times reports: Between 1996 and 1999, Kerry participated in a letter-writing campaign to free up federal funds for a guided missile system that defense contractor Parthasarathi "Bob" Majumder was trying to build for U.S. warplanes. . . . Kerry's letters were sent to fellow members of Congress--and to the Pentagon--while Majumder and his employees were donating money to the senator, court records show. During...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A San Diego-based defense contractor pleaded guilty Wednesday to making donations to politicians he believed would help him win contracts, including Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and U.S. congressmen Duncan Hunter and Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Parthasarathi Majumder, the former president and chief executive of Science and Applied Technology Inc., made the contributions between 1993 to 1998 and also encouraged his friends and colleagues to do so, according to the U.S. Attorney General's Office. Majumder then reimbursed those donors more than $20,000, according to the plea agreement. U.S. election laws limit individual contributions to $1,000 to a candidate...