Calif. Congressman Admits Taking Bribes

[Sean]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051128/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges and promptly resigned his seat in Congress. Cunningham, 63, admitted to taking $2.4 million in bribes in a case that grew from an investigation into the sale of his home to a wide-ranging conspiracy involving payments in cash, vacations and antiques. He entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. 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 Republican congressman, resigned after his guilty plea even though he had announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year. House Ethics rules say that any lawmaker convicted of a felony no longer should vote or participate in committee work. Under Republican caucus rules, Cunningham also would lose his chairmanship of the House Intelligence subcommittee on terrorism and human intelligence. The former Vietnam War flying ace is known on Capitol Hill for his interest in defense issues and his occasional temperamental outbursts.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Sean http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051128/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Hawk Congressman Admits Taking Defense Firm Bribes:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/p...bn28duke3.html
"SAN DIEGO – Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday morning to conspiring to take bribes in exchange for using his influence to help a defense contractor get business."

[I never would have guessed.]

[Sonart]

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I live in San Diego. We've been following this closely for some time and to be honest, I don't think anyone expected anything this dramatic.

Not that I'll miss 'ol 'Duke', but I'm sure his way upscale district will promptly elect another pro-war supply-sider.

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[RickSp]

I'm shocked! Shocked!

Lord Acton was right. Power corrupts.

[shield772]

Glad they caught him glad he owned up to it and has so far done the right thing by resigning, of course not having taken the bribes would of been the right thing, I just hope this won't (but probably will) start a slew of coloring all Republicans with this brush.

[shield772]

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."

Well that didn't take long did it.

[Sonart]

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I'm a Democrat, but shut the fug up, Pelosi!!

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[RickSp]

LOL, in New Jersey the Democrats are the most corrupt, mostly because they have been in power the longest. The Republicans are doing all they can to catch up, both in terms of acquiring power and in being corrupt.

[Zeebadee]

This is a terrific disappointment. Duke Cunningham was one of my heroes in Vietnam. How could he do something like this??

"Cunningham became one of the most highly decorated U.S. Navy pilots in the Vietnam War. The first fighter ace of the war, he received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, and the Purple Heart."

http://www.acepilots.com/vietnam/cunningham.html

[Jack]

So much for our "America's Finest City" moniker. Our mayor was voted out, 2 councilmen convicted of taking bribes and now this.

[bishop]

Quote by: shield772 Glad they caught him glad he owned up to it and has so far done the right thing by resigning, of course not having taken the bribes would of been the right thing, I just hope this won't (but probably will) start a slew of coloring all Republicans with this brush.

start?? the house majority leader has been indicted.. the senate majority leader is under investigation... not to mention all the corruption that we all know goes on in the white house.. no, this is no start - it's just another example of just how corrupt this republican party has become. personal responsibility can suck a fat nut as far as they're concerned.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: bishop start?? the house majority leader has been indicted.. the senate majority leader is under investigation... not to mention all the corruption that we all know goes on in the white house.. no, this is no start - it's just another example of just how corrupt this republican party has become. personal responsibility can suck a fat nut as far as they're concerned.

And in the end, come next election we will see the government almost equally divided once again and the sheep will grab their remote controls and life will be good once again.

But I agree with Shield on one point. At least the crook quit. You can't say that about too many of them.

[Sonart]

Quote by: Isherwood So much for our "America's Finest City" moniker. Our mayor was voted out, 2 councilmen convicted of taking bribes and now this.

You in San Diego, dood??? :) Cool! I'm over by the NE corner of Balboa Park.

Yah, our fair city has taken it in the teeth this year. {SIGH} You okay with Sanders?
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[shield772]

The company I work for has it's corporate HQ in San Diego, WIS International, formerly Washington Inventory Service

[Jack]

You okay with Sanders?

In some ways, yeah. In other ways I would have preferred Donna. I'll be amazed if Jerry can manage to get this city back on track.

Washington Inventory Service

They used to do the inventory for the company I worked for the first 8 years after I came back to S.D.

[shield772]

We were bought by a Canadian company and we are WIS International now.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: from the article Cunningham, 63, admitted to taking $2.4 million in bribes in a case that grew from an investigation into the sale of his home to a wide-ranging conspiracy involving payments in cash, vacations and antiques. He entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004.

How the Hell can this be any kind of deterent if the fine does not equal at least the 2.4 Mil that was stolen in the first place?


In my opinion, anybody that thinks justice was done is not thinking hard enough.

[RickSp]

Quote by: Scribbler1 But I agree with Shield on one point. At least the crook quit. You can't say that about too many of them.

The way I read it, the crook didn't quit so much as it became painfully clear that the prosecuter had the goods. It became smarter to cop a plea. He had denied everything for months now, hadn't he?

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: Milton Bradley How the Hell can this be any kind of deterent if the fine does not equal at least the 2.4 Mil that was stolen in the first place? In my opinion, anybody that thinks justice was done is not thinking hard enough.

Justice hasn't been done yet. He's forfeiting to the government the home he paid $2.55 million for, $1.8 million in cash and his antiques and rugs. Sounds to me like that's more than the $2.4 mil he was bought for. And he's lost his job to boot.

Justice will be done when he's sentenced to up to 10 years in jail. In addition, he's forever disgraced himself, undoubtedly a huge penalty to someone generally regarded as a war hero.

[rmnunez]

No, he doesn't deserve a decade in jail, the man has valuable skills that could be better put to use in some sort of community service. I'd sentence him to administer the budget for the local Board of Education or the state's social services and assign his salary to those individually harmed.