Tag Archives: Hookergate

CA-50: New book on Duke Cunningham features lots of yuck

Update: a funny tidbit from an interview with the authors (h/t TPM)–Duke thinks he’s going to be pardoned:

His wife, Nancy Cunningham, said in an interview with Kitty Kelley last year that he claimed he was innocent, had been railroaded by the government, that he had signed the plea agreement under duress, and that he even thinks he will pardoned by President Bush.

Just when you thought you couldn’t be any more disgusted by Duke Cunningham, the two reporters who brought him down write a book that brings you this:

…even Wilkes drew a line on what he would do for the congressman. For one thing, Wilkes was totally disgusted by the hot tub Cunningham put on the boat’s deck during the autumn and winter. What repelled Wilkes — and others invited to the parties — was both the water Cunningham put in the hot tub and the congressman’s penchant for using it while naked, even if everybody else at the party was clothed. Cunningham used water siphoned directly from the polluted Potomac River and never changed it out during the season. “Wilkes thought it was unbelievably dirty and joked if you got in there it would leave a dark water line on your chest,” said one person familiar with the parties. “The water was so gross that very few people were willing to get into the hot tub other than Duke and his paramour.” That was a reference to Cunningham’s most frequently seen girlfriend, a flight attendant who lived in Maryland.

Previous quote continued:

One of these parties started at the Capital Grille with Cunningham ordering his usual filet mignon — very well done — with iceberg lettuce salad and White Oak. Wilkes used the dinner to update Cunningham on the appropriations he wanted. Cunningham then took the whole group back to the boat where they drank more wine, sitting on white leather sofas while Cunningham told more war stories. Cunningham then took his clothes off and invited all to join him in the polluted hot tub that was hidden from the neighbors by a white tarp. There were no takers.

H/T to TPMMuckraker via dkos.

Two slight digressions: (1) very-well-done is a desecration of filet mignon, (2) the first and only review of it on Amazon is incredibly annoying in that it tries to make this a problem “that pervades both sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat).” Yes, the Dukestir, you know he was practically a Democrat…or something. Somebody already rated it not helpful (pile on if you have an account), let’s hope we get some better ones up to replace it.

The publisher’s summary:

Duke Cunningham was an All-American success story. The Midwestern boy who went off to war, became a hero, and rode his fame into Congress even bragged that Tom Cruise played him in a popular movie. But the fall of this “Top Gun” was almost as epic and just as cinematic. Today he sits in prison, branded as the most corrupt member of Congress in U.S. history.

Hmm, except I’d actually like to get in a hot tub with Tom Cruise (“Top Gun”-era/pre-crazy Tom that is).

As I mentioned, the book is by the two San Diego Union-Tribune (Copley News) reporters who broke many of the Dukestir stories and brought about his downfall:

The authors were on the team that won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. Jerry Kammer has been a correspondent for Copley News Service since 2002. Marcus Stern has been in Copley’s Washington Bureau for twenty-two years. Dean Calbreath has been a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune for more than eight years. George E. Condon Jr. has been Washington bureau chief for Copley since 1984. Stern, Calbreath, and Kammer all received the George Polk award. Stern and Kammer also share the Edgar Poe award.

While I can’t praise them enough for that, I wish they’d get busy on any number of other San Diego area Republicans. Heaven knows there is no shortage of material for them to work with around here. I’m actually quite disappointed that they haven’t kept this going. Let’s hope that now they’ve finished this book they can get back to work (of course then there’s the book tour…sigh…)

Wilkes the “GOP’s ATM”

Newsweek finds out that Kyle “Dusty” Foggo and Brent Wilkes are friends.  Who knew?

It is a bit of a stretch. Most of the Wilkes’ bribes go to politicians, from guys like Randy Cunningham, up through more important Republicans such as Tom Delay, Jerry Lewis, Porter Goss, John Doolittle, and on right to the top of the party – George Bush. Yet, Foggo may be the thread that unravels Republican corruption all the way to the top.

But the agency’s problems may only get worse, and one reason is Foggo. Federal investigators are looking at the ties of the CIA’s “Ex Dir” to a congressional bribery scandal. Foggo was a high-school football teammate and college buddy of Brent Wilkes’s, a defense contractor who was identified as an unindicted co-conspirator when former San  Diego congressman and ex-Navy air ace Randy (Duke) Cunningham pleaded guilty. The CIA has acknowledged that its internal watchdog is investigating if Foggo helped steer any contracts to Wilkes. According to three sources who declined to be identified commenting on the details of a government probe, there are also indications that the Feds are interested in Foggo’s role in the wider Cunningham bribery scandal. Recent news reports have alleged that Wilkes (who has not been charged with any crime) sponsored poker parties at the Watergate and other expensive Washington hotels, and that he may have been involved in a scheme to provide prostitutes to the disgraced Cunningham.

More on the Repulican’s ATM follows.

Brent Wilkes is a bit more than “a defense contractor.”  Wilkes is a one man defense conglomerate, operating a dizzying array of companies that appear designed for a single purpose, to scam money from the defense and intelligence apparatus of the United States.

Wilkes apparently is big in the transportation industry as well.  At least in the transportation of Republican politicians.  Wilkes’ Group W Transportation operation appears to have been designed to allow Wilkes to ferry key Republican leaders around in the style to which his bribes and contribution had made them accustomed.

Yet Group W, owned by Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes, has provided personal air transportation for some high-profile passengers — including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who has flown on the jet to such locations as Idaho for a hunting trip and Hawaii for a golf tournament.

Brent Wilkes is also a major financial contributor to Republican politicians. Aside from convicted felon Randy “Duke” Cunningham, Wilkes made substantial contributions to California Representatives John Doolittle (CA-4), Jerry Lewis (CA-41) and Duncan Hunter (CA-52).

But, wait there’s more Wilkes largess to politicians.  Wilkes it turns out is also a Bush/Cheney Pioneer – someone who raised at least $100,000 in contributions to the President’s 2004 campaign. In this, Wilkes is on a list of just 327 other dedicated fund raisers. In fact the first name on this list is Jack Abramoff. Distinguished company for Wilkes.

Wilkes is also a a key contributor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger rewarded Wilkes with posting to two prestigious public boards. Postions that he asked Wilkes to give up when his involvement with Cunningham became public.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who received $77,400 from Wilkes and his wife, Regina Wilkes, has no such plans [to return the money], according to a spokesman.

Schwarzenegger, however, did ask Wilkes to resign from the Del Mar Fair Board and the State Race Track Leasing Commission the day after Cunningham pleaded guilty.

Schwarzenegger appointed Wilkes to both volunteer positions, continuing a tradition in which governors appoint contributors to such prestigious posts.

Cunningham was the most obvious and illegal of Wilkes bribery enterprises. In may turn out that Foggo will be as egregious and illegal a case as was Cunningham’s, but it is important to remember that Wilkes was what The Left Coaster called “An ATM for the GOP.” His largess was directed at anyone who could help him continue to loot the U.S Government and steal the money of American taxpayers.

CA-50 Ask Brian Bilbray – May 2 Edition

It is interesting how many members of congress and CIA employees are having a hard time remembering the details of those cigar and booze filled nights over at Brent Wilkes’ “hospitality suite.” Via TPM Muckracker:

Porter Goss never participated.

Dusty Foggo played poker, but never saw any hookers.

Jerry Lewis (CA-41) never hung with Wilkes outside of California.

Duncan Hunter (CA-51) doesn’t drink, smoke or hang out with riff-raff.

John Doolittle (CA-4) doesn’t speak to the press.

What about one of Wilkes other pals in congress, Brian Bilbray? Bilbray received some big money from Wilkes and was active both in congress and as a lobbyist while Wilkes was running his “hospitality” operation for lonely members of congress.

Why isn’t someone from the Pulitzer Prize winning San Diego Union Tribune asking Bilbray about his association with Wilkes?