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DUKE CUNNINGHAM PLEADS GUILTY
ap

Posted on 11/28/2005 9:58:09 AM PST by SoFloFreeper

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion charges involving the sale of his home.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: 109th; 50thdistrict; congressman; conspiracy; corruption; crook; downinflames; dukecunningham; guiltyplea; house; houseappropriations; houseintelligence; republican; sandiego; taxevasion; vietnamace
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To: MurryMom
If the Duke had been a Dem he would have lost his subcommittee seat many moons ago.

Yeah, right...

61 posted on 11/28/2005 11:02:07 AM PST by Tallguy
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To: slapshot

I don't like the idea of Pelosi and Reid as leaders. But look at it this way. It ASSURES NO HILLARY in 2008. There is NO WAY this country will elect Hillary to go with a Democratic Congress. And as much as I dislike the idea of a Democratic Congress, let's face it, The Pubbies have blown it by being wimps.


62 posted on 11/28/2005 11:02:21 AM PST by bombthrower
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To: slapshot

I'm pretty sure you meant to say Rahm (I Used To Be A Senior Advisor To Bill Clinton) Emanuel. When it comes to corruption, that resume line pretty much tops anything else.


63 posted on 11/28/2005 11:09:39 AM PST by RichInOC (The Clinton Administration-Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.)
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To: SoFloFreeper

Whenevery somebody misuses the word "greed", I get angry. Many feel that "greed" is the desire to accumulate personal wealth. I disagree.

I think "greed" can only exist when a person puts aside moral tenants in order to achieve that wealth/power.

Here is a good example :(


64 posted on 11/28/2005 11:14:40 AM PST by SJSAMPLE
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To: Tallguy

OK. I didn't view that as a flip so much as a petard-hoisting.


65 posted on 11/28/2005 11:22:48 AM PST by AmishDude (Your corporate slogan could be here! FReepmail me for my confiscatory rates.)
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To: SoFloFreeper

what was the conspiracy charge? same as the tax charge? Is it illeagle to conspire to sell you home to a buyer willing to pay a higher price? Having said that, I think the term hero is overused - except in this case.


66 posted on 11/28/2005 11:29:33 AM PST by SF Republican
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To: SoFloFreeper

what was the conspiracy charge? same as the tax charge? Is it illeagle to conspire to sell you home to a buyer willing to pay a higher price? Having said that, I think the term hero is overused - except in this case.


67 posted on 11/28/2005 11:29:33 AM PST by SF Republican
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To: SoFloFreeper

local radio just interrupted Rush to play Duke's emotional press conference. He is a good man ;(


68 posted on 11/28/2005 11:29:53 AM PST by Steven W.
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To: SoFloFreeper

CNBC reporting he's resigned. Good riddance and hope he and his wife do a lot of time.


69 posted on 11/28/2005 11:32:50 AM PST by TCats
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To: TCats

Fox radio news also says resigned.


70 posted on 11/28/2005 11:33:56 AM PST by NonValueAdded (The honorable Richard Cheney, X man!!!)
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To: SF Republican

Calif. Congressman Admits Taking Bribes
By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer

SAN DIEGO - Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges, admitting taking $2.4 million in bribes in a case that grew from an investigation into the sale of his home to a wide-ranging conspiracy involving payments in cash, vacations and antiques.

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.

Cunningham, an eight-term Republican congressman, announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year. But it was not immediately clear whether he hoped to keep his seat for the remainder of the current term. He planned to address reporters at a news conference later in the morning.

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 lose his chairmanship of the House Intelligence subcommittee on terrorism and human intelligence.

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

After the hearing, Cunningham was taken away for fingerprinting. He will be released on his own recognizance until a Feb. 27 sentencing hearing. He could receive a maximum sentence of 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 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.

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.

___

Associated Press reporter Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report.


71 posted on 11/28/2005 11:35:47 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: TCats

Also, FRN says it was several million in bribes which is more than just the sale of that house. Oh, Duke, you forgot Shephard's Prayer (Alan, that is).


72 posted on 11/28/2005 11:36:09 AM PST by NonValueAdded (The honorable Richard Cheney, X man!!!)
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To: slapshot
I am getting nervous about what will happen when the Noe case develops in Ohio.

Tip of the iceberg.

Noe was a pawn. He'll rat on everyone in the loop. It could be ugly.

73 posted on 11/28/2005 11:37:03 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Vote for gridlock)
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To: section9

A few weeks ago the History Channel had a show on famous dogfights and this encounter was one of the featured ones. They did a good job of going into detail about it.


74 posted on 11/28/2005 11:37:47 AM PST by vabeachrepub
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To: SoFloFreeper

Corrupt politician,most of them are


75 posted on 11/28/2005 11:39:11 AM PST by cope85
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To: SoFloFreeper

Duke didn't do anything that every single last congress critter hasn't or doesn't do. The whole instituion is corrupt. "bribery"? Hell, every single last corporqate "contribution" is a bribe for something and every congress critter takes such bribes.


76 posted on 11/28/2005 11:41:21 AM PST by CodeToad
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To: NonValueAdded
That's it. There are those here who somehow excuse this saying it was a sale of his house to a 'Willing' buyer and that those who are upset somehow want to intervene in the 'Free Market' for home sales. What a load. As you said, it wasn't just the sweetheart home deal - It was actual cash and cash equivalents in this corruption.

IMO this guys military record is what it is and so is this. One cannot excuse the other and, in fact, his military record makes this all the more egregious.

77 posted on 11/28/2005 11:41:55 AM PST by TCats
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To: SoFloFreeper

He's an idiot. Good grief.


78 posted on 11/28/2005 11:48:13 AM PST by Trust but Verify (( ))
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To: SoFloFreeper

What about the Duke of Earl?


79 posted on 11/28/2005 11:48:38 AM PST by RockinRight (It’s likely for a Conservative to be a Republican, but not always the other way around)
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To: bombthrower

This country voted for Bill Clinton with a dem congress already in place.

There is also no conservative candidate out there right now that is electable.

We might get the presidency with a mccain/guliani ticket but that could cause trouble.

McCain would give in to a lot of what pelosi and reid wanted. So the only way to stop garbage legislation is to stop pelosi and reid.


80 posted on 11/28/2005 11:49:30 AM PST by johnmecainrino
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