Tag Archives: Duke Cunningham

San Diego

Carol Lam Should be Retained in Corruption Case

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On Monday, McClatchy’s Marisa Taylor reported that San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam had been removed by the Bush Justice Department despite a positive job performance review:

Lam, another U.S. attorney who was told to resign, was described in her 2005 evaluation as “well respected” by law enforcement officials, judges and her staff. Overall, the review was positive, according to another Justice Department official who has seen the evaluation.

“We’re not aware of any significant issues, ” said the official, who also asked not to be identified. Lam is leaving office Feb 15.

Now, House Democrats are demanding Lam preside over the California Republican corruption case as outside counsel. In the Senate, Chuck Schumer has vowed to get to the bottom of the purge (video here).

In short, it appears that the non-political players in the Justice Department thought Lam was doing a good job. But the accused declared:

There’s no need to remind the San Diego community that these are the same prosecutors routinely accused of prosecutorial misconduct. The office has been led by a dismissed U.S. Attorney who has shown bad judgment, has previously pursued vendettas, and has set the tone at the top of an organization accused of witness tampering and manufacturing evidence. It is no accident, nor is it a surprise, that the indictments were rushed to the press 48 hours before her forced departure.

It appears that there are pursued vendettas, but unlike as Wilkes says, the target was those who had the gall to investigate corrupt Republicans and the vendettas were pursued by those at the top of the Bush Administration.

This has cover-up written all over it. Of course, one can easily see why the Bush Administration would want to cover-up a bribery, corruption, and war profiteering scandal that involved hookers, yachts, and multiple California Republicans.

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Pombo strikes back! and DHS renews hookergate limo contract

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This diary is really two short diaries combined into one. First, Pombo is a sore loser. Below the fold, why would DHS renew the contract with the limo company implicated in the Duke Cunningham scandal?

SallyCat on dkos pointed me to this letter to the editor from Pombo to the SF Chronicle, re: Chronicle endorsing McNerney:

I did not expect to receive the San Francisco Chronicle’s endorsement, but when you gave your blessing to my opponent I certainly did not expect it to be based on factual inaccuracies or laden with political innuendo and heresy.

I love that opening, “I didn’t want your stupid endorsement anyway!” And “heresy”? Although I know the GOP likes to think of itself as God’s Own Party, I’m assuming he meant “hearsay.” (that vocab mixup is only the first piece of evidence that he didn’t send this one through the campaign staff filter before sending it)

More Pombo:

…your endorsement appears to have been a forgone conclusion based on the fact that he places a (D) instead of an (R) at the end of his name and reads like it was drafted using a blend of Greenpeace talking points and Democrat National Committee scripts from the “character assassination” file. Coming from a publication whose readers count themselves among America’s liberal and intellectual elite, this conservative “dullard” is not impressed.

Maybe the SF Chron is liberal-leaning, but how does he explain that the Modesto Bee, who endorsed him every race prior to this one, also endorsed McNerney? That endorsement contains several gems, including the line that “[Pombo] is at the diseased heart of the quid-pro-quo process that defines Washington.” Tip for Pombo: wise was he who said, “don’t send an email when you’re angry.”

Ok, Part II:

Remember the Dusty Foggo, Duke Cunningham, poker-and-prostitutes-at-the-Watergate Hotel scandal? Well, remember how there was a limo company at the center of it, who would pick up the, um, ladies, for Dukestir? And remember how they were repaid with a nice fat Department of Homeland Security contract, despite the fact that the owner of the company had a long criminal past, and the company had no history of managing that size contract before?

Well, Rep. Louise Slaughter wants to know why that limo company’s DHS contract not only hasn’t been summarily cancelled, but in fact has just been renewed. Good question. I’m assuming, as always, “follow the money.”

San Diego

The Unparalleled Corruption: Cunningham, Lewis, & Lowery

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The Vanity Fair article on the Duke-Stir Affair that will appear in the next issue is an interesting summary of all that has happened in the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Cunningham/Lewis Affair.  It is becoming painfully clear that we have not heard the last of this particular scandal.  Besides Lewis, expect a lot more scrutiny on Katherine Harris (“Representative B”).  Also, Bill Lowery, the Congressman that imediately preceded Duke, will also be using a lot of legal services in the future.  Of course, this is nothing new for Lowery, who lost his seat do to his role in the House Banking Scandal; Lowery and his wife cashed over 200 hot checks.  Dusty Foggo, Porter Goss’ No. 3 man at the CIA, will also be sharing the mess hall with the Duke Stir.

On trips to Washington, Casey recalls, Wilkes was able to usher him into the presence of important members of the armed-services and appropriations committees, including, most notably, Lowery and Lowery’s closest friend on the latter, fellow California Republican Jerry Lewis, now 71. The genteel Lewis and the earthy Lowery reportedly loved to dine and even vacation together. “Everyone on the defense committee always works cooperatively,” says Casey, who realized pretty quickly that no money came his way without their support. “It was team play, and they emphasized that to me constantly.”

Wilkes also introduced Casey to Dusty Foggo, who often passed through Washington. Around 1994, during a visit to a Washington strip club, Casey says, Foggo wore a gun in a shoulder holster and flashed his identification at the club doorman. He was promptly seated by the stage. “Foggo sits there the whole night telling me how he likes to fuck girls in the ass,” Casey recalls. “He sees a girl there, he jabs you and says, ‘She’s ready to go—let’s double-team her.’ The weirdest combination of sex and domination! And Wilkes, he’s just laughing the whole time.” (Vanity Fair 7/5/06)

Haha! Yes, it’s hilarious using your CIA badge to get laid at strip clubs.  I particularly think the whole double-team comment is a priceless one, and worthy of the Washington Hall of Corruption Fame.  But that’s just me.  The more telling part is that Lewis worked very closely with Duke.  Either he was naive or he was complicit.  The latter now seems far more likely:

“Tom, let’s cut to the chase. I want you to get stock options for Bill Lowery” was how Lewis opened their conversation, Casey recalls. Specifically, Casey adds, Lewis suggested that a very large number of Audre stock options issued in Canada be given to Lowery, but put under other names. Lewis’s actual words were “I am going to give you a list of names,” says Casey, who declined to go along. That was the last time he and Lewis had a pleasant conversation, Casey says. (Through a spokesman, Lewis acknowledges that he “thinks he remembers meeting Tom Casey,” but denies the story. “What’s described sounds illegal to me,” says the spokesperson. Through his lawyer, Lowery also denies any knowledge of the proposed deal.)

Unparalleled really doesn’t do this scandal justice.  It dwarfs the Abramoff scandal.  It dwarfs Rostenkowski, or Traficant.  This will end several careers, and see the exposure of Conservatism for what it really is: Great in theory, terrible in power.

Simply put, Conservatives cannot govern.  Their loathing of government works great in opposition, but not so well in power.  When they actually gain power, we see that they have no respect for the institutions and for those that elected them.

San Diego

Wilkes in the news

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Brent Wilkes, the Duke Cunningham bribing, prostitute poker providing defense contractor, is all over the news lately.  He appears in the latest issue of Newsweek.  Good job Brent!

There is nothing unusual or illegal about a defense contractor with an open checkbook for campaign fund-raisers and seats to fill on a corporate jet. But federal prosecutors want to find out more about how Wilkes tapped into what may be one of Washington’s sweetest post-9/11 honey pots—secret defense and intelligence contracts that are often awarded without competitive bids or oversight but with plenty of congressional meddling. Wilkes appears to be at the center of a Washington scandal that has the potential to shake Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.
***
According to published reports and congressional and law-enforcement sources who did not want to be identified discussing a sensitive investigation, the Feds are also reviewing Wilkes’s ties to other powerful House leaders. Former GOP majority leader Tom DeLay, Armed Services Committee chairman Duncan Hunter and Appropriations Committee chairman Jerry Lewis all reportedly had dealings with Wilkes. None has been accused of any wrongdoing; a spokesman for Lewis said the congressman had not seen Wilkes for 10 years. Hunter’s spokesman said his boss urged the Pentagon to ignore congressional pressure on contracting, and DeLay’s lawyer had no immediate comment. (Newsweek 6/5/06)

And nobody wants to play with poor Brent Wilkes anymore.  Nobody goes to his poker prostitute parties, nobody gets him $10million contracts.  And nobody even wants to admit knowing the poor guy:

His life is getting lonelier. He has been dropped by charities; his office building is for sale; his federal contracts are drying up. Once a ubiquitous figure in San Diego politics, Wilkes might as well have ceased to exist. Former San Diego congressman Brian Bilbray, a Republican who was in the House until 2001 before retiring to become a lobbyist, is running for Duke Cunningham’s vacated seat. Bilbray told NEWSWEEK, “I may have met Brent once or twice, but I really do not remember.” Bilbray did discover that Wilkes had donated $7,000 to his campaigns, but the candidate has given the money to charity. “I wouldn’t know Wilkes if I saw him in the street,” said Bilbray.

Even his fellow lobbyists, like Brian Bilbray, are throwing the guy under the bus.  What indignation the man has suffered.  All this for trying to pursue the American dream.  And what’s the problem anyway?  Everybody loves poker these days.  And prostitution is the oldest profession.  It’s got a long, cherished history.  Poor, poor Brent.  I think it’s jealousy.

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“Where Does Brian Bilbray Really Live?”

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It’s one thing for Democrats to call Brian Bilbray, Republican lobbyist and 50th CD congressional candidate, a carpetbagger. Considering that Bilbray has never lived in the 50th District and considering that for the last 5 years his residence has been in Virginia, the Democrat’s claim that Bilbray was an carpetbagging opportunist may have been valid, but until now it didn’t resonate.

Things seem to have changed. Yesterday, Democrats claimed that Bilbray has made fraudulent claims regarding his place of residence and that he may have actually claimed three legal residences for different legal purposes. The Union Tribune soft sells the story today, keeping the political aspect up front, but local ABC affiliate, KGTV, has taken a far more aggressive stance and is actually investigating the story.

In a story first run last night and repeated today, KGTV asks, “Where Does Brian Bilbray Really Live?“

In fact, there are serious questions about where Bilbray really lives. Virginia property records show Bilbray claims a home in Alexandria, Va., as his primary residence, for tax purposes.

The same is true for a home in Imperial Beach. Bilbray and his wife, Karen, also claim the Imperial Beach home as their primary residence. […]

“I live in Carlsbad, taking care of my mother,” Bilbray said.

He said he has lived in the Carlsbad house since March 2005.

It is the address he used in his declaration of candidacy for the North County congressional seat.

Democrats said Bilbray does not live at that address.[…]

Neighbors told 10News they rarely ever see Bilbray at the house, which is his mother’s home.

“He comes here occasionally to see his mother like boys will do, but he doesn’t live here,” said neighbor Frank Knudsen.

“If he does live here, he must leave late at night and come back early in the morning,” said neighbor Bill Rider.

Another man, who lives right next door, said he wondered when people would catch on that Bilbray does not live here.


It’s not going to help the floundering Bilbray campaign to have television news following him around to see where he sleeps at night.

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CA-50 All Tied Up!

A SurveyUSA poll released today finds the race for the CA-50 congressional seat tied, with Democrat Francine Busby and Republican Brian Bilbray each the preference of 45% of likely voters.

The poll represents 442 likely voters sampled May 7-9. By party affiliation 50% of the respondents considered themselves Republican, 32% Democrats and 18% independents. Bilbray is the preference of 82% of the self-described Republicans, while Busby is the preference of 95% of Democrats and 54% of independents.

More details below.

One point of interest, 54% of the Republicans surveyed did not vote in the April 11 special election, where just 35% of the Democrats claimed to have not participated. Bilbray’s number therefore reflect the contribution of self-described likely voters, who did not bother to fill out an absentee ballot or drop by a polling station to choose their party’s candidate for the run-off. What are to odds that this group will now turn out in mass to vote for Bilbray?

This poll was taken before Eric Roach “stood down” in his primary challenge of Bilbray and before Bill Hauf alerted the media that he was seriously considering an “aggressive” challenge of Bilbray in the primary.

All in all, this poll is good news for Busby. She has moved from being slightly behind Bilbray right after the special election (although within that poll’s margin of error) to a dead even tie in a heavily Republican district.

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Wilkes the “GOP’s ATM”

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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.

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CA-50 – Latest Polling

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The most recent publicly available poll regarding the special election to replace convicted felon Randy “Duke” Cunningham in the 50th District continues to be bad news from most of the candidates in the crowded field.

A SurveyUSA poll conducted the weekend of March 18-19, finds just four candidates with 20% or higher “favorable” public perception:

Francine Busby (D)  38%
Brian Bilbray (R)  23%
Howard Kaloogian (R)  20%
Eric Roach (R)  20%

As far as familiarity goes, Democrat Busby is far ahead of all candidates. The poll found that most of the vast number of Republican candidates are simply unknown in the district. Only former congressman Brian Bilbray comes close to Busby in name recognition.

When asked about the candidates, district residents had the following degree of unfamiliarity with the top tier candidates.

Francine Busby (D)  20% (unfamiliar)
Brian Bilbray (R)  29% (unfamiliar)
Eric Roach (R) 32% (unfamiliar)
Howard Kaloogian (R) 40% (unfamiliar)

Perhaps the most disappointing revelations of the poll relate to State Senator Bill Morrow, who has achieved a rare political double-double. Despite his years in public service, Morrow is unfamiliar to 35% of the voters in predominantly Republican district and his unfavorable rating is higher than his favorable rating. Morrow’s recent mud slinging support from the California Republican Assembly isn’t likely to do much to improve his already shaky image.

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Doolittle’s Rat PAC

Representative John Doolittle (CA-4) is, by all reports, a devote Mormon. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t smoke. And, he is vehemently anti-gambling. Except, apparently, when being pro-gambling helps out his friend Jack Abramoff’s clients.

Why would a straight-laced guy like Doolittle hold a Republican Party fund raiser in Las Vegas? Why do people rob banks? That’s where the money is says Doolittle in the Sacramento Bee.

According to Doolittle, Las Vegas “is a place that our target audience, namely these $5,000 donors, would like to go.”

More from the Strip follows.

The Bee focuses on a major Doolittle fund raising event held at the exclusive and expensive Venetian Resort Hotel Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The 2005 event was designed to haul in big bucks for Doolittle and the Republicans.

Behind the need for fundraisers such as Doolittle’s is the increased demand for money to fuel political campaigns. As a member of the House leadership, Doolittle is required to raise $250,000 for House Republicans each year.

When asked about that, Doolittle said he had just been told he needed to raise an additional $100,000 for an upcoming House Republican dinner.

So, in essence Doolittle was sent out by his party’s leadership to raise money so that the crew in Washington could have a nice meal.
We don’t know what kind of deals had to be struck to insure that congressional Republicans were able to eat filet mignon instead of hamburger, but we do know that Doolittle’s event featured a stellar cast of co-conspirators and potential government witnesses.

…the biggest draw of all for the Doolittle event – then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

DeLay, now facing a trial in Texas for campaign finance irregularities, knew them all. Under pressure from House Republicans worried about the growing Abramoff scandal, DeLay permanently surrendered his commanding leadership job in December.

Former DeLay staffers who started the now-infamous Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm were there with DeLay.

The firm, which closed its doors last month as a result of the scandals, employed DeLay’s wife. Among its clients were those connected both to Abramoff and to defense contractors whose cash payments to Cunningham brought down the Vietnam War hero.

DeLay flew into Las Vegas on the private corporate jet of Group W, one of the companies owned by Brent Wilkes. Doolittle’s PAC paid $358.50 for DeLay’s privileged seat.

Doolittle pays the standard commercial airfare and DeLay rides out to Vegas on Brent Wilkes’ private jet. Just business as usual for Doolittle. But, not only did Wilkes provide DeLay with a $20,000 private jet ride, Wilkes also had some sugar for his pal Doolittle.

Wilkes also attended Doolittle’s event, giving Doolittle $10,000 in personal and PAC checks, almost certainly unaware that his businesses would be raided about two months later as federal agents built their bribery case against Cunningham.

Also attending was Ed Buckham, DeLay’s former chief of staff and a founder of the Alexander Strategy Group. Buckham was Wilkes’ lobbyist.

Doolittle said it may have been Buckham who first introduced him to Wilkes, setting up a relationship that the congressman says he still cannot believe was tainted by corruption.

Karl Gallant, another Alexander Strategy Group lobbyist, was there. He also ran DeLay’s political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.

Not since the days of Sinatra has Vegas seen a “rat pack” to equal this crowd. Although, now days the “pack” has been replaced by “PAC”. And speaking of PACs, Julie Doolittle was in attendance with her husband.

By the time of the fundraiser – Doolittle’s second at the Las Vegas complex – his wife, Julie, already had been subpoenaed by the Justice Department for business records related to work she had done for an Abramoff interest, the Capital Athletic Foundation.

John Doolittle continues to insist that he has done nothing wrong. Yet, it is hard to understand how a man who claims to have such a strong moral compass could surround himself with so much corruption and remain untainted by it.

Doolittle’s personal morality may not have been compromised by his association with Abramoff, Wilkes, DeLay and their retainers, but his public morality certainly seems to have been sold to the highest bidder.

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Francine Busby is getting hot!

(Good news from San Diego… – promoted by SFBrianCL)

I’ve been keen on Francine Busby for a while now.  After meeting her while down in San Diego, I’ve been quite optimistic about her chances to take CA-50, The Duke-Stir’s old Seat.  Well now, there are numbers to back up that growing suspicioun of mine. From DownWithTyranny via dKos:

DWT has come into possession of some brand new polling from the 50th CD– brand new and very exciting. The research was based on interviews with 401 likely April special election voters in December, 2005. The survey shows that voters in the district are ready for a change and are much more receptive to a Democratic message of change than to any Republican message of more of the same. Busby holds an advantage over all opponents tested in both a single-trial heat match-up as well as head-to-head match-ups. Busby has a shot to take the whole ballgame in the special (primary) election in April!

Despite a GOP voter registration advantage in the district, a majority of voters surveyed disapproved of Bush’s job performance– with a plurality of voters STRONGLY disapproving. Even among Republican voters a significant number disapprove of Bush’s job performance, while nearly all Democrats and two-thirds of independents disapprove of the job Bush is doing as president. This translates to Busby leading each of the Republican candidates. She is also better known than all the Republicans other than former Republican congressman Brian Bilbray.

A majority of voters (53%) say that things in the country are pretty seriously off on the wrong track, with just over one-third (37%) suggesting things in the country are on the right track. Many voters will be looking for change to get things back on track.

Once considered a strongly Republican district, the 50th has swerved away from the party of Bush, DeLay, Cunningham, Abramoff and Frist. Only 35% of the voters indicate they will probably or definitely vote for the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress. Moreover, voters are seeking checks and balances in Congress, with 43% saying they want a candidate who would provide a balance to Bush’s agenda, while only 34% prefer a candidate who will consistently support the Bush agenda.

You can give money to Busby via the Calitics ActBlue page.  More…

While it’s being talked about as a national bellwhether, I think we also have to consider the statewide ramifications.  CA-50 leans pretty strongly towards the GOP.  They have quite a strong registration advantage, as they do in much of Orange and SD counties.  While the governator has not really been scandal-ridden like Congressional GOP, he has suffered similarly moribund approval ratings.  The taint of the GOP in general will tend to run off towards all Republicans, even ones here at home. 

Ahnold deals on star power, and that has lost its shine.  He, more than ever, needs the support of his conservative GOP base, almost all independents, and to pick off some Dems.  I think a Busby win would indicate just how the people of at least one district feel about the GOP right now.