What is it about Republican Politicians?

oldsam · 11-28-2005, 11:06 AM

Rep. Cunningham pleads guilty to tax violations
California Republican admits to taking $2.4 million in bribes

Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 2:55 p.m. EST (19:55 GMT)

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham says he now knows "great shame" after pleading guilty Monday.

SAN DIEGO, California (AP) -- Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges and tearfully resigned from office, admitting he took $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to conspirators.

Cunningham, 63, 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.

Later, at a news conference, he wiped away tears as he announced his resignation.

"I can't undo what I have done but I can atone," he said.

Cunningham, an eight-term Republican congressman, had already announced in July that he would not 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 have lost his chairmanship of the House Intelligence subcommittee on terrorism and human intelligence.

The former Vietnam War flying ace was known on Capitol Hill for his interest in defense issues and his occasional temperamental outbursts.

After the hearing, Cunningham was taken away for fingerprinting and released on his own recognizance until a February 27 sentencing hearing. He could receive up to 10 years in prison.

He also agreed to forfeit to the government his Rancho Santa Fe home, more than $1.8 million in cash and antiques and rugs.

In a statement, prosecutors said Cunningham admitted to receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes paid to him by several conspirators through a variety of methods, including checks totaling over $1 million, cash, rugs, antiques, furniture, yacht club fees and vacations.

"He did the worst thing an elected official can do -- he enriched himself through his position and violated the trust of those who put him there," U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said. The statement did not identify the conspirators.

The case began when authorities started investigating whether Cunningham and his wife, Nancy, used the proceeds from the $1,675,000 sale to defense contractor Mitchell Wade to buy the $2.55 million mansion in Rancho Santa Fe. Wade put the Del Mar house back on the market and sold it after nearly a year for $975,000 -- a loss of $700,000.

He drew little notice outside his San Diego-area district before the San Diego Union-Tribune reported last June that he'd sold the home to Wade.

Cunningham's pleas came amid a series of GOP scandals. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas had to step down as majority leader after he was indicted in a campaign finance case; a stock sale by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is being looked at by regulators; and Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff was indicted in the CIA leak case.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

island_dude · 11-28-2005, 11:35 AM

This is troll bait for sure. I can just anticipate the responses now.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

"Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham says he now knows "great shame...""

Funny, for the past couple of years, he was downright self-righteous about his graft.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by oldsam
The former Vietnam War flying ace ............

Cunningham's pleas came amid a series of GOP scandals. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas had to step down as majority leader after he was indicted in a campaign finance case; a stock sale by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is being looked at by regulators; and Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff was indicted in the CIA leak case.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Sad, I think a lot of the guys who served in Vietnam.

The other boneheads listed at the bottom don't get any pity from me - deferment specialist.

Burnin' oil · 11-28-2005, 11:41 AM

"I can't undo what I have done but I can atone," he said.

I've tried that line a few times, but not since high school . . . The only thing he's sorry about is getting caught.

Superman · 11-28-2005, 11:42 AM

So, he chaired the House subcommitte on terrorism and human intelligence, eh? Until now, that is.

Very interesting "leadership" structure those Republicans have on Capitol Hill. Or should I say Capital Hill? These kinds of reports help me to understand the "high moral values" thing better, which I know is a key aspect of Republican countenance. And campaigning.

2008 might be a very good year.

Burnin' oil · 11-28-2005, 11:44 AM

The data group is not "Republican" or "Democrat" but "Politician."

Rodeo · 11-28-2005, 11:53 AM

Superman, you and I think alike. I copied this while reading the article:

"Cunningham also would have lost his chairmanship of the House Intelligence subcommittee on terrorism and human intelligence"

I guess he has been busy with a lot of things over the past few years ... unfortunately none apparently involved his committee duties.

No mercy from me. He should go to jail for a long, long time.

white87911 · white87911's Garage

I would like to know "who" was giving him the bribes? My guess is this is a larger problem then just Cunningham.

Rodeo · 11-28-2005, 12:05 PM

Defense contractors. Lots of money in defense-related industiries right now. Just ask our VP.

white87911 · white87911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Rodeo
Defense contractors. Lots of money in defense-related industiries right now. Just ask our VP.

RODEO, I think like you, but lets try the innocent until proven guilty thing!

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

12 more to go -- and Republicans are not the only sleazeballs. Just the majority.

* Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA)

* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
* Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
* Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)
* Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
* Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH)
* Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)
* Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
* Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)
* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
* Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
* Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
* Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

And of course, Tom Delay

gavinlit · 11-28-2005, 12:41 PM

Politics aside but 2.4 million seems like a hell of a lot of bribes to me. Our pollies must be amazingly envious. The kickbacks over here are on a much smaller scale.

Mulhollanddose · 11-28-2005, 01:32 PM

I hate republican scumbags more than democrat scumbags...there just happens to be 10x the corruption and gravity of that corruption from the big-government leftists, which is precisely why they want big-government. ..the democrats have made the trough a cafeteria so tempting that pigs from both (predominantly democrats) sides of the aisle can't help themselves but feed, in fact self-preservation often forces them to do such.

Clinton should have been hung for teason for his selling of secrets to the Chinese military. Were the Los alamos breaches by the Chinese, due to "relaxed" security, related?

The silence of the complicit leftist media is deafening...trivial republican petty crimes drown out the covered-up real scandals.

cool_chick · 11-28-2005, 01:35 PM

Mulhollandose, if you honestly, genuinely believe that (one party is 10x more corrupt than the other party), you win the Fool-of-the-Year award...

jkarolyi · 11-28-2005, 01:36 PM

>receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes paid to him by several conspirators.

Who are these conspirators? Mitchell Wade and the other "conspirators" deserve prison as much as Cunningham does. Bribery is wrong on both sides. Will these guys be prosecuted too?

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Oh, c'mon, stop acting like it's only Republicans that have done this sort of thing. SHEESH!

Anyone remember this clown!

Randy

cool_chick · 11-28-2005, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rcecale
Oh, c'mon, stop acting like it's only Republicans that have done this sort of thing. SHEESH!

Anyone remember this clown!

Randy

Well to me, it's fun....and funny......

When a group of people try to claim they're "moral" and then stuff like this happens..it's fun.

No different than when that guy was throwing oreos at that guy and your "side" did the same thing in reverse.....

However, if anything, we should all learn there are corrupt people in both parties, there are moral people in both parties, there are immoral people in both parties, there are racists in both parties.......and quit with this "I'm more moral than you" or "I am better to minorities than you..."

dd74 · 11-28-2005, 01:57 PM

I sure as hell remember that hair...

To be fair, like Tech says, Reps aren't the only guilty people in this party.

Jefferson - wasn't he the one who after Katrina, had the national guard escort him home so he could recover his smoking gun laptops?

Waters - she has too much vitriol to not be guilty of something.

cool_chick · 11-28-2005, 02:10 PM

Mulhollandose, if you honestly, genuinely believe that (one party is 10x more corrupt than the other party), you win the Fool-of-the-Year award...