Government's talks to continue with contractor in Cunningham case ('As the cauldron bubbles')

ap on Riverside Press Enterprise ^ | 8/21/06 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON

The investigation stemming from the bribery conviction of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., will continue well past the November midterm elections under a federal court schedule set Monday.

The development came at a status hearing for defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who is cooperating with federal prosecutors after pleading guilty in February to bribing Cunningham in exchange for government contracts.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina agreed to delay sentencing proceedings against Wade and set the next status hearing in his case for March 12. That will allow Wade's cooperation to continue in the investigation, which still has several unresolved pieces.

Among them, a grand jury in San Diego has focused on another alleged co-conspirator in the case, defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who has not been charged. Also, Wilkes' childhood friend Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, a former high-ranking CIA official who resigned from the agency earlier this year, is under investigation over his role in the awarding of a government contract that went to Wilkes.

Cunningham is serving an eight-year prison term after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes from Wilkes, Wade and others in return for funneling government contracts their way.

The Cunningham case has spawned an investigation of House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., over his ties to a lobbying firm that represented Wilkes' company.

An attorney for Wade declined comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office declined to discuss details of the case.

"At the time of the plea it became known that he would be cooperating with the government as part of an ongoing investigation, so it was anticipated all along that today's date was simply a control date," said U.S. attorney's spokesman Channing Phillips. "It is an active investigation."