It can be a challenge keeping track of all the Republican office-holders who are under investigation and/or facing criminal charges, but important to remember Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.). As you may recall, Cunningham sold his house to a military contractor with business before his committee for an inflated price, ultimately leading to a $700,000 gift for the lawmaker. Shortly thereafter, Cunningham helped direct tens of millions of dollars in defense appropriations to the same contractor, whose luxurious yacht Cunningham also happened to live on, rent-free.
When the story broke, Cunningham conceded that the circumstances surrounding his dealings raised “fair” questions, but he insisted that he hadn’t done anything wrong. It looks like his story is about to change.
Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham will plead guilty to tax violations, a person close to the investigation of the California Republican has told The Associated Press.
Cunningham has been under investigation since his sale of his home to a defense contractor at an apparently inflated price in 2003 attracted the attention of federal investigators.
A hearing in the case was scheduled in federal court in San Diego on Monday, and two people close to the investigation said Cunningham would enter a guilty plea. One of those people said he would plead to tax violations related to the home sale.
The LA Times reported that Cunningham called some of his closest political supporters last night to tell them, “It’s over. I can’t fight anymore.”
There are still details that haven’t been reported yet, but I suspect this guilty plea was part of a deal. After all, tax law violations were hardly the most serious crime Cunningham was alleged to have committed. This was a story of fairly obvious bribery of a member of Congress.
That said, a conviction is a conviction. I wonder which of Cunningham’s colleagues will be next?
Update: In an expanded AP account, Cunningham’s plea appears to go well beyond just tax evasion.
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.
Update 2: Cunningham resigned from Congress after pleading guilty.
Update 3: The lead headline on CNN.com right this minute reads, “Crooked congressman admits receiving bribes.” That’s unusually strong language — and it’s completely appropriate given the circumstances.