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 ...
Is a good man, as far as I'm concerned. Just a felon.
Of course, District Court Judge Larry Burns swore me in as an attorney.
'course, he was only a Magistrate back then.
"the love of money is the root of all evil"....
Yes but nobody would charge ol' Ted with any kind of crime would they? Then again a LOT of people would LIKE to, just no prosectors.....
Oh, I see. Did Mr. Cunningham get paid MORE than the asking price like Mr Kennedy? Or did the appraisel come in extemely high on Cunningham's property.
Looks like Kennedy was brazen about it!
There is no doubt that it is more insidous than that. A Congressman does not realy live where his constituants live anymore, and they socialize with corporate contributors.... this is all by design. They have actualy censored one congressman for trying to keep his medical practice going at home as A CONFLICT OF INTREST! They should ALL be so conflicted!
Cunningham got paid far more than they were asking for the house, far more than the house was worth, far more than the market for any houses in the area. The buyer tried to sell it right away and eventually ended up taking a major loss on it.
SO the appraisel was probably lower than selling price; sounds
EXACTLY like the Kennedy deal. Two wrongs don't make a right, however.
'Oh please. Our congressmen and women are paid paltry wages. I'd like to see any of the pious and unforgiving here live on their salaries and maintain their lifestyle and expenses.'
And don't forget their small 100% pay retirement plan (adjusted annualy for inflation). /sarc off.
I'm not familiar with the Kennedy deal (though I presume it's very shady).
With the Cunningham deal, there was an offer made on the house by someone who wanted Cunningham's help securing defense contracts. That contractor put in a bid $700,000 above the market value for the house (I don't know exactly how high that was above the asking price, but it was well above the asking price). That's 42% over market, not some tiny "let's seal the deal today" bit over market.
And Cunningham insisted that he didn't see anything wrong with the deal.
He's a scumbag, who sold out the troops for some antiques.
(when I got the bribes)
and great sorrow
(when I got caught)
I roll back my lifestyal and expenses as required to fit within my salary (which is even more "paltry" than what Congress gets). I guess that's just the pious and unforgiving thing to do.
No doubt. As for Cunningham, see ya!
Sounds like a republican version of Dan ?Rostinkowski(not cure is spelling is correct) who was just awesome in terms of the bribes and illegal gifts he took.
Good points. Well said.
As for the reason corruption seems to come down harder on Republicans and seems to affect the Democrats very little I think is easy to understand.
I find most people tend to vote for and support politicians who share their values and ideals
when republicans find one who does not whether he is Democrat or as in this case a Republican they want him gone and properly dealt with.
It is the same with the Democrats and their constituents.
They keep these low life career scum and crooks around because they don't see anything really that wrong in what they do because they share the same values and ideals.
So when these crooks are caught with their hand in the till anyone found who wants to brush it off might need to do some self evaluation.
We need to see if we are getting too cynical and having our own values and standards gradually diluted by the constant corruption and lack of character we see in our political leaders.
My parents told me many years ago " you are the company you keep".
You draw an accurate contrast between the patriots and the selfish, and I agree, you are and you vote your principles. My parents got through to me in my early twenties (when I got unstubborn) using the same principles and logic as yours, God bless them for their patience. Fortunately I had made no major screwups before they got through, now it is easy, I just think "would dad be proud of me for this?"
Idea for T-shirt rhetoric: "Got Principles?"
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