Posted on 11/28/2005 11:50:36 AM PST by standingfirm
SAN DIEGO — Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges involving the sale of his home two years ago to a defense contractor at an inflated price.
Admitting to a judge that he took bribes, Cunningham entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004.
Cunningham, 63, and his wife, Nancy, used the proceeds from the $1,675,000 sale to defense contractor Mitchell Wade to buy a $2.55 million mansion in ritzy 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.
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 congressman, announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year. The former Vietnam War flying ace is known on Capitol Hill for his interest in defense issues and his occasional temperamental outbursts.
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
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
As opposed to some other politician who answered "It all depends upon what the meaning of is is".
C'mon peeple, the man should be given absolution because of his war record and all the good he has done while in office!
Yeah, thats gonna leave a mark!
Like it's a big surprise - taking bribes in California is probably standard fare for liberals out there.
Must be one of the "two term" Gingrich contract with America liars. Just saying.
Go into your wayback machine and include that he was the first combat ace of the Vietnam war. This doesn't excuse his behavior, but he fought valiantly when others ran. He is a good man that went bad.
<< ... tends to reflect badly on all politicians and our system. >>
That's easy.
A given.
Randy Cunningham enlisted in 1966 when Vietnam was hot. I enlisted at the tail end of Vietnam. Unless you enlisted when Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan were hot, that makes Randy Cunningham your better at that stage of his life.
That doesn't make him a better man.
Becoming a hero is a testament to his ability and the size of his grapes in his cockpit. Enlisting when Vetnam was hot makes him a better man than most statistically speaking. Where you fall in those stats I have no idea.
It only makes him a war hero.
See above.
He got shot down in it the day he made ace. So technically he lost it in the line of duty while earning a Navy Cross.
No need to revise history on top of his problems.
And others have probably needed to change their pants by now.
Now it's time to pay the piper.
That is a horrible mental image!
And taking bribes shows how low he's willing to go. Whatever he once was, he's also a scumbag.
I'm not diminshing his service. I just won't give his corruption a pass because of it. If he really valued service to his country, he wouldn't have sold his office.
And what do you think about his selling military contracts to companies that couldn't earn them on their own? Shows a lot of respect for the armed forces on his part, doesn't it?
I'm disappointed that the man who flew jets with honor has forgotten it so completely. His crimes are outrageous and make me question whether he ever truly had it at all.
These heroes need the best support and equipment that we can supply to them, that means money, defense contractors and politicians to carry the fight for support and weapons to the Congress and Senate.
When any politician or contractor skims it hurts us getting the most bang for the buck and sabotages the fight on the Congressional front.
At least he had the good sense to resign. As we know if this had been a Democrat he/she would have not left with out licking, screaming and accusations they were framed.
When I read on Drudge that a Congressman resigned due to scandal, I knew immediately it was a republican congressman. Why, because democrats do not admit wrongdoing and even if found guilty would continue in office because their constituents would likely reward them with reelection.
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