POLITICS: Congressman Cunningham Confesses

In a stunning turn-around, Rep. Cunningham today entered guilty pleas to the charges against him in Federal Court. He faces up to 10 years in prison for accepting $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to MZM Inc., a defense contractor.



I'm glad he came clean. They must have really had the goods on him. I wasn't sure at first if he was guilty or being set-up, but this goes to show that even individuals of the highest caliber that you would hardly suspect of engaging in these kinds of activities can betray the public trust.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Cunningham Claims Due Process Violated
politics.abovetopsecret.com...
politics.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 28-11-2005 by Icarus Rising]

[edit on 28-11-2005 by Icarus Rising]

I'll bet he never sees a day in the joint. The prosecution must have offered him a sweet deal, to rat out the rest of his cronys, to get a guilty plea. We always celebrate around here whenever arrogance goes down. I wonder if he will still get his Government retirement. I'll bet so.

Mostly, I find it interesting that he gets to go free until sentencing even though he ripped off the American people for millions of dollars that we know about - but ordinary Americans can be held without charge under the Patriot Act.

Define Patriot.

soficrow ...

As you are aware, rank doeth have its privilege.

He's a senior American.

More than that Randy "Duke" Cunningham almost won the congressional medal of honor one day over the skies of Vietnam in his F-4.

So much for duty and honor

When is the auction?
He forfeited lots of ill gotten booty.
Shall we rent a van and all go down?

I would like to know more about his ties to Bush.

We know he copped a plea, but, beyond that, he should be punished to the full extent of the law. I read he could receive ten years in prison. That's what he should get. His war record makes his crimes more reprehensible, not less. He has brought ignominy upon the highest institutions in the land.

It's easy to point fingers and find faults in others so that attention may be directed from oneself.

This guy, as others like him, was in a position to where he more or less got what he wanted. He probably was up to his neck with lobbyists 24/7.

I not going to say that I feel sorry for the guy, which I don't. Being a lawmaker, he knows he was breaking the law so I can say that he deserves to be punished like anyone else who knowingly, willfully and defiantly break the law. It's not about the money that he recieved. It's about abiding with the laws he may have helped pass.

Also, the people that offered him the bribes should be held accountable for their actions too. They knew they were breaking the law and should recieve no less sentence than the Congressman in question.

This is exactly what happens when there is so much money to play with that people think they can do what they want, even if it means being immoral. One thing is for sure.

He has really screwed up the rest of his life in his latter years.

[edit on 29/11/05 by Intelearthling]

Originally posted by Intelearthling
He has really screwed up the rest of his life in his latter years.

I love that line. It is right up there with this quote from "Plan 9 from Outer Space."

Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future.

www.imdb.com...

Originally posted by whaaa
I'll bet he never sees a day in the joint. The prosecution must have offered him a sweet deal, to rat out the rest of his cronys, to get a guilty plea.

Possibly so. The defense contractors that were paying out the bribes were profiting millions and millions on this sweet deal. The amount of bribe money that Cunningham took is small change compared to the defense contractor windfall.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Honestly, does this change much?

How many politicians that hold any elected offices have had their intentions bought and paid for?

Those who have power will do all they can to defend what it is they have. It seems to me that there is an overwhelming amount of measurable actions and behaviors and affects to tell us our (everyday people) have had our voices and intentions usurped by those who make the rules. Who makes the rules, you may ask?

Rulers make the rules.

"How many politicians that hold any elected offices have had their intentions bought and paid for? "


ummm......about 60 or so by what I hear.......

heard it either on msnbc, or fox, they might be investigating up to 60 congressmen (and probably a few women)....for taking bribes.....

maybe it's time for the "Your government is corrupt and your representatives are all in jail. Aren't you all glad that we are here to help you out of this mess? Now, ya all bow down to your new lord and dictator Clinton!!"

really, up to 60 under investigation? and well, the white house seems to have their own headaches....what would happen if they started pressing charges against all the crooks in washington? there'd be noone left to run the country!!

That may not be too far from the truth, as long as it isn't Clinton that tries to save us. I don't think she's ready for the big time yet. I could be wrong, though. It wouldn't be the first time.

I was wondering how Cunningham became a target to begin with. Was he just too obvious with his ill gotten gains? It sure seems that way. Maybe he was too greedy, a bad tipper, wasn't willing to properly grease the wheels of defense commerce, so to speak, and one of the middlemen in his nefarious deals got bitter, and rolled over on him.

Maybe he plead guilty and will get off easy because he has, in turn, rolled over on the rest of the dirty players in this sordid game. Would that qualify as a form of atonement? I don't know, it seems to me like he will probably end up getting at least some soft time at one of those Federal country club prisons.

It would be nice to see everyone involved in this whole corrupt business do the same thing former Rep. Cunningham did. That's not very likely though is it?

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
I was wondering how Cunningham became a target to begin with. Was he just too obvious with his ill gotten gains?

The investigation grew out of the sale of Cunningham's home to a defense contractor for more than its market value. The contractor then put the house up for sale immediately and sold it at a loss two hundred sixty one days later.

The case grew out of an investigation into the sale of Cunningham's home in Del Mar, a seaside suburb north of San Diego, to a defense contractor at an inflated price.

aolsvc.news.aol.com

The suit alleges that Wade purchased the Del Mar Heights home "for $1.675 million, an amount far greater than its true fair market value. Cunningham demanded and received this money in return for being influenced in the performance of his official acts as a public official, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 201."

That section of the code governs bribery of public officials. A part of the section says a public official who demands anything of value in return for being influenced in his or her official duties can be fined up to three times the value of the proceeds, imprisoned for up to 15 years, and disqualified from holding public office.

The suit states that after selling the Del Mar Heights home to Wade, Cunningham and his wife, Nancy, purchased the Rancho Santa Fe home.

"The Cunninghams used for their down payment ... the net proceeds (over $1.4 million) from the $1.675 million that Cunningham had demanded and received in return for being influenced in the performance of his official acts," the suit alleges.

Wade sold the Del Mar Heights home for $700,000 less than he paid Cunningham without ever living in it or using it as a place for MZM workers to stay, something Cunningham said in June he believed was Wade's intent.

NCTimes

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.

SignonSanDiego.com

[edit on 2005/11/29 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by Esoteric Teacher
How many politicians that hold any elected offices have had their intentions bought and paid for?

All of them. Even if they're not profiting directly (or indirectly, through business partnerships, stock, board memberships and dummy corporations), such payments cover the costs of their re-election bids.

It's very simple-- the business of a politician is to accumulate power and to then sell that power. That's exactly and entirely what they do.

op by GP
The investigation grew out of the sale of Cunningham's home to a defense contractor for more than its market value. The contractor then put the house up for sale immediately and sold it at a loss two hundred sixty one days later.

I knew about this part and have been following the story since the original grand jury investigation was revealed. I'm wondering who made a stink about the R.E. transaction.

The unraveling of Cunningham's illicit dealings with defense contractors began in June when Copley News Service reported that Mitchell Wade, founder of the Washington defense firm MZM Inc., had paid $700,000 more for Cunningham's Del Mar Heights home than he would sell the same property for less than a year later.

Cunningham resigns, admitting bribery, tax evasion

The Copley News Service report from June 12, 2005, was written by Marcus Stern, and is linked below. I'm still wondering who put Stern onto the story, like I said above, and why. Again, once you look at the deal its pretty obvious something fishy is going on, but how did it get under the microscope to begin with? And how many other shady deals just like it are out there hiding in plain sight right now? That is truly the multi-million dollar question.

Cunningham defends deal with defense firm's owner

This is one good thing in these last 6 years...
maybe this will be the start of something good...

the responsibility of any public official!
accountablility to the public for which it serves!

Now lets go round up the other 70% of politicians that do this regularly...