San Diego contractor pleads guilty over illegal contributions( Kerry-MA )

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 2/11/04 | AP - San Diego

[NormsRevenge]

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 seeking federal office per campaign period. The law also prohibits corporations from giving money to candidates or using others to donate by proxy.

The various campaigns unwittingly filed false reports with the Federal Elections Commission due to Majumder's use of proxy donors.

Donations were made to Kerry, who is now the Democratic presidential front-runner; San Diego County Republicans Hunter and Cunningham; Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.; and Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla.

None of the lawmakers or their staff was charged with any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors also said Majumder used money received under federal contracts to lobby for congressional support for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile program being developed by his company.

Wednesday's plea follows a Dec. 18 civil settlement in which Majumder agreed to pay the government about $3 million for submitting false claims under a government contract.

Majumder, a U.S. citizen born in India, faces a maximum penalty of five years and $250,000 in fines on charges of defrauding the government and one year and $25,000 in fines for making illegal campaign contributions.

[NormsRevenge]

..Majumder used money received under federal contracts to lobby for congressional support for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile program being developed by his company.

---

It's OK,, Kerry probably voted against it anyway if it could help our military. That would be consistent with his record.

[Stellar Dendrite]

wow, these stories keep coming.....this stinks of high clinton.

[q_an_a]

the drudge headline is about an INTERN that worked for Kerry. you hit the nail on the head. did you know?

[Stellar Dendrite]

know what?
that i hit the nail on the head or did i know about the intern thing? i dont think i did at the time, i think i posted this in the morning before drudge broke the intern story.

[Arrowhead1952]

Here is a headline from the LA Times today. Does anyone have a California ping list or know any Freepers there to get the entire article to see if it is the same?

Kerry Lobbied for Man Who Made Illegal Contributions

San Diego defense firm owner pleaded guilty to illegally funneling campaign contributions. Kerry's camp says the letters were about getting jobs for his state, not money.

[NormsRevenge]

Let me check it out ..

Ernest, as they say in the battlefield.. INCOMING!

The Johnny Chung connection... on top of his claim about special interests NOT making the top fund raiser from special interests in the past 15 years.

lol.. Kerry is NO Dean but he'll do just fine on the November ballot for the demRats.

[farmfriend]

Short list.

[E.G.C.]

BTT!!!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Johnny Chung connection... ??

Norm , I have been avoiding registering with the LA Times, I think I recall John posting articles from there, maybe he is registered, perhaps also calcowgirl!

John, know anything about this?

Calcowgirl, know anything about this?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Science and Applied Technology Inc is a major Research and Development outfit!

[calcowgirl]

Yep... I'm registered. The article is there.

It's the same company and subject matter, but the LA TIMES article is much longer.... 2,178 words, to be exact. Did you already get a copy?

Darn... no Johnny Chung. I thought he retired, after alleging that he and the FBI investigators (with whom he became good friends) feared for their lives.

[calcowgirl]

LA Times snip:

Last week Majumder, 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal campaign contributions. He could be sentenced to six years in prison. The government dropped 38 other counts.

Majumder admitted giving illegal contributions to Kerry and Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-San Diego), Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) and former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.), totaling more than $95,000. To settle a civil suit, Majumder has agreed to repay $3 million to the federal government.

(snip)

Majumder, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in India, began working on the missile program in 1989 — and established his company — with a $50,000 grant from the federal government. Federal funding increased over time. But in 1996, the Defense Department proposed rescinding $35 million for the project and not funding it in the future.

-----------------------------

Science and Applied Technology Inc is a major Research and Development outfit!

Are you thinking of Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC)?
I think SAT is one of those bogus companies set up to reap fed funds through the SBIR program.

Science and Applied Technology, Inc.(now Alliant Techsystems)
Location: Rancho Bernardo, CA
Employees: 200
Sales and Investment to Date: $183,933,000
Acquired By: Alliant Techsystems - Oct. 2002

Founded in 1988, Science and Applied Technology, Inc. is establishing an innovative approach for the design and development of advanced weapon systems and associated technologies in the defense industry. Since its inception, SAT, Inc. has developed a significant engineering and system development capability in Southern California under contract with the United States Navy for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). AARGM is a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to design and demonstrate an innovative systems upgrade to the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM
Source: dodsbir.com

[calcowgirl]

Ooops... Here's the Johnny Chung part... Just reiterating Kerry history

The Majumder case isn't the first time that Kerry received tainted campaign money.

In September 1996, Taiwanese American entrepreneur Johnny Chung held a fundraiser for Kerry in Beverly Hills. He later pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions, including $8,000 raised at the Beverly Hills event.

Kerry's Senate office arranged a high-level meeting for Chung at the Securities and Exchange Commission within a few days of the fundraiser.

[John Jorsett]

Here's the opening paragraphs of the LA Times story:

Kerry Lobbied for Contractor Who Made Illegal Contributions

WASHINGTON — 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.

Members of Congress often write letters supporting constituent businesses and favored projects. But as the Democratic presidential front-runner, Kerry has promoted himself as a candidate who has never been beholden to campaign contributors and special interests.

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.

Majumder's firm, Science and Applied Technology Inc., was paid more than $150 million to design and develop the program in the 1990s. But the program ran into some stumbling blocks at the Pentagon.

[calcowgirl]

It comes home for California.... Feinstein and Kennedy!
Two of my 'favorite' senators.

March 10, 1997

It has come to our attention that Fiscal Year 1997 funds have been put on hold for an important Navy research and development program…. We are writing to ask that these funds be released as soon as possible….

We would appreciate your informing us of the current status of the funding. If it is being held by your office, we request that you release it to the Navy for program execution as soon as possible.
-------------------------------------
— Written with Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
to John J. Hamre, under secretary of Defense/Comptroller for the Department of Defense

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Are you thinking of Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC)?

Yes I was!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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.

Very interesting!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Since its inception, SAT, Inc. has developed a significant engineering and system development capability in Southern California under contract with the United States Navy for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). AARGM is a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to design and demonstrate an innovative systems upgrade to the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM

For the Navy!

Kennedy and Feinstein don't come cheap, wonder how much money he contributed to each?

[nopardons]

Okay, here's the thread. Have at it.

I'll ping you all to another.

[dirtboy]

Now, please show where there was any wrongdoing by Hunter.