It is quite funny that YB Tony Pua is persistently asking for a select Parliamentary committee to oversee the purchases of military equipment. Is Tony so oblivious to the past and that he still thinks he can overtake YB Lim Guan Eng to become Prime Minister ? Let me give you a bit of a history lesson Mr Yang Berhormat. Is this what you really really want ?
Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham
- Pleaded guilty to taking bribes and resigned his congressional seat on Nov. 28, 2005. On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
- The guilty plea. Cunningham admitted in November 2005 that he “demanded, sought and received at least $2.4 million in illicit payments and benefits from his co-conspirators.” Much of the money came from defense contractors Mitchell Wade, the majority owner of MZM Inc., and Brent Wilkes, the majority owner of ADCS Inc. Many of the illicit payments were made to Top Gun Enterprises Inc., a company owned by Cunningham, a Vietnam war fighter pilot whose story was reportedly the inspiration for the Tom Cruise film “Top Gun.” [Cunningham plea agreement, 11/28/2005; Washington Post, 11/30/2005; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/27/1990]
- Both Mitchell Wade and Brent Wilkes are subjects of broader corruption scandals on Capitol Hill. On Feb. 4, 2006, Mitchell Wade pleaded guilty to making over $1 million in payoffs to then- Congressman Duke Cunningham, providing illegal benefits to Defense Department officials, and attempting to curry favor with two other members of Congress by making illegal campaign contributions.Brent Wilkes, still under investigation for bribing Cunningham, gave $840,000 in campaign contributions to 32 congressional officeholders or candidates, was a “Pioneer” in the 2004 Bush campaign (raising at least $100,000 in campaign funds for Bush), and flew Republican lawmakers on his corporate jet, and hired the lobbying firm of former DeLay aides Buckham and Rudy to help secure government contracts and earmarks. There are also allegations that Wilkes provided hospitality suites at the Watergate hotel and a limousine service to public officials accompanied by prostitutes. [USA Today, 11/30/2005; San Diego Union Tribune, 4/28/2006]
- Helped defense contractors reap tens of millions for products the government didn’t need. As a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Cunningham was ideally placed to broker government contracts for defense companies in exchange for bribes. He took advantage of his opportunity, steering tens of millions to MZM and ADCS. MZM vacuumed up $160 million in contracts from 2003 to 2005. ADCS received $80 million in contracts from 1999 to 2005. The ADCS contracts were even more shocking because the Pentagon didn’t even need the product – software that converted documents to a digital format – and copies of the software were collecting dust in government warehouses. Cunningham was undeterred. His critics “can just go to hell,” he said, adding, “I’m on the side of the angels here.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/25/2005, 8/17/2005 and 12/4/2005; Washington Post, 11/30/2005]
- A shocking litany of bribes came Cunningham’s way:
- Had a defense contractor buy his house for $700,000 above market value and pay his taxes. Wade, of MZM, bought Cunningham’s DelMar, Calif., house for $1.7 million in 2003 then sold it 260 days later at a $700,000 loss. Apparently, that was not enough to satiate the Duke. MZM also cut him a check to cover the capital gains tax on the sale and pitched in an additional $11,394 to ship his possessions from an Arlington, Va. condominium to a California mansion he bought with the ill-gotten proceeds from the house sale. [San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/12/2005; U.S. Attorney Charges, 1/28/2005; Justice Department news release, 11/28/2005]
- Let a defense contractor pay off a mortgage on his new house. After using proceeds for the DelMar house sale to buy a $2.55 million mansion, Cunningham accepted a $525,000 wire transfer from another co-conspirator to retire a second mortgage on the new house. [San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/12/2005; U.S. Attorney Charges, 11/28/2005]
- Bought a condo with bribe money. Cunningham used a $200,000 wire transfer from one of the co-conspirators named in the Justice Department guilty plea for a down payment on a condo in Arlington, Va. [Justice Department news release, 11/28/2005]
- Lived rent free on a 42-foot yacht owned by a defense contractor. While in Washington, Cunningham lived rent free on the Duke-Stir, a yacht owned by the president of MZM, the company that had bought his Del Mar, Calif., home at an inflated price. [Washington Post, 11/30/2005; U.S. Attorney Charges, 11/28/2005]
- Received more than $1 million in cash, rugs, antiques, furniture, boat repairs and vacation expenses. These included $13,500 for the purchase and maintenance of a used Rolls Royce, more than $2,000 to pay for his daughter’s graduation party, $9,200 for two laser shot shooting simulators, $50,000 for antiques and Persian style rugs and more than $28,000 in monthly mortgage payments on his Rancho Santa Fe house. [U.S. Attorney Charges, 11/28/2005]
picked up from:- http://www.cleanupwashington.org/hos/page.cfm?pageid=27 |
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