Posted on 10/06/2006 5:53:15 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO
The estranged wife of disgraced former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham will be left destitute but won't face prosecution for her role in the bribery scandal that landed him in federal prison.
Under terms of a settlement deal filed Friday in San Diego federal court, Nancy Cunningham will be held liable for nearly $1.7 million in back taxes and penalties to the federal government but will not face criminal charges relating to her husband's activities. The federal government had filed civil claims against her last year.
"This was a compromise settlement," said her attorney, Douglas Brown.
Brown said Nancy Cunningham intends to file for divorce "very soon," but declined to give any details.
She and her husband have been separated since July 2005, when FBI agents raided their 7,628-square-foot home in ritzy Rancho Santa Fe, seizing rugs, furniture and jewelry.
Nancy Cunningham will receive a $760,000 credit for equity in the mansion, which the pair bought for $2.5 million in 2003 with help from defense contractors. The house was sold for $2.6 million to a newspaper heir last December, with all profits going to the government.
She will be responsible for paying the remainder of a $1.68 million tax liability for bribes her husband accepted but did not report on joint tax returns she signed.
"The reality is that although she didn't receive those bribes directly she certainly benefited from them," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Forge. "What this ends up meaning to her will be a life in debt."
Cunningham, a Republican who held seats on powerful House intelligence and appropriations committees, admitted last November that he accepted $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors in exchange for government contracts and other favors.
The payoffs included more than $1 million to pay down a mortgage on the Rancho Santa Fe mansion.
In his plea deal, Cunningham agreed to forfeit the house, $1.8 million in cash, and a catalog of antique furnishings that fetched $94,625 at auction in March.
In an August interview with The New Republic, Nancy Cunningham dismissed many luxury items given to her husband as bribes including yachts, apartments and a used Rolls Royce as "not that great" and described their estate as "a fixer-upper."
Cunningham resigned from Congress last November and was sentenced in March to more than eight years in federal prison. He is currently housed at a federal correctional center in North Carolina.
Nancy Cunningham is currently living with her elderly mother in San Diego, according to another of her attorneys, James Macy.
She and her husband married in 1974 and have two daughters.
"The estranged wife of disgraced former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham..." The word *disgraced* used in describing Cunningham is becoming so cliche by writers and editors. One would think bright, intelligent, talented people (sarc) would find another word from Webster's to describe Cunningham. A college education is supposed to expand one's vocabulary.
There is that phrase "for better or for worse".
Your comments about Duke Cunningham are wrong and disgraceful. Were we in the same room, I would punch your lights out.
Why is there a tax debt? They received bribes, the government took away the bribes, no net income.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
She can always write a book.
She isn't that bad off. Duke stills get his military pension as Cdr (LTC) for 22 years of active service. This does not include any disability pay which I think you can collect a portion of now and get the full amount in 2009 I think.
Does he get a retirement from the congress?
His retirement pay is about $3600 a month. She can get by if she is with her mother.
It's ok that he's a crook who fleeced millions from taxpayers, but you're threatening me with violence (an armchair commando!) for pointing out that the jerk is also gay?
She was wanting a new Mayback.
I trained under Cunningham and knew him personally. And if you have a brain, and have read my comments on his actions, you would know that I do not support or defend what he did. But, to answer your question, I would do more than just threaten you with violence if you ever called Duke, or any other career Naval Aviator gay to my face.
I hope that is clear, you jackass.
Because it's just not possible that a career Naval Aviator could be a homosexual? Just as it's impossible that a war hero could later betray his country by taking millions in bribes?
Nobody's questioning Cunningham's heroic service in uniform, but you have to disassociate that from his other, not-so-stellar character flaws. Those include an all-consuming greed, a readiness to betray men and women in uniform (whom he hurt by helping underqualified defence contractors), and his narcissistic, destructive homosexuality.
If not, and in this case I will bet on "not", then keep your uneducated assumptions to yourself. Your pronouncement tends to show all just the quality of crap that seems to flow easily first from your mouth and then your keyboard. The shame is on you.
"Duke Cunningham is a well-known homosexual."
First i've heard of that. Evidence?
Perhaps to you... after your late night rendezvous with him at the no-tell-motel...but for the rest of us...Who knew you two were gay?
Cunningham lived on a small houseboat in the Potomac with a male lobbyist for many years. They attended cocktail parties and receptions together, the lobbyist named his boat after Cunningham, etc. It is common knowledge to anyone with more than a passing familiarity with Congress that Cunningham is a flaming homosexual, and Cunningham (in Congress, I can't vouch for his Navy career) never went through any great steps to try to hide it. Cunningham is as gay as Liberace.
Boo-freakin'-Hoo!!!
"How about Rostenkoski's [spelling?]
Yes, his spelling was known to be really bad,
but that's not why he was sent to prison.
" A FIXER-UPPER"
Hah hah.......one bathroom needed painting, the toilet and the pool needed cleaning, the bedroom window was stuck......
---you gotta admit, politicians AND their wives are masters of the languages used to conceal truth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.