|
 MZM
MZM News:
20060225
-
 Mitchell
J Wade -  Randy
"Duke" Cunningham -  Katherine
Harris -  Virgil
H Goode Jr -  Criminal
-  Money
-  Politics
- Election
-  Illegal
-  Government
-  Military
-  Intelligence
- MZM
-  Calif
-  Va
-  Fla
- "Contractor
Pleads Guilty to Corruption: Probe Extends Beyond
Bribes to Congressman." ... "Washington defense contractor Mitchell J.
Wade admitted yesterday in federal court that he attempted to illegally
influence Defense Department contracting officials and tried to curry favor
with two House members, in addition to lavishing more than $1 million in
cash, cars, a boat, antiques and other bribes on convicted [California
Republican Representative] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif. [Republican-California])."
... "The new admissions, including details that identify [Republican Representatives]
Reps. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va. [Republican-Virginia]) and Katherine Harris
(R-Fla. [Republican-Florida]) as recipients of illegal campaign contributions,
are contained in Wade's agreement to plead guilty to four criminal charges
stemming from his role in the Cunningham probe. The congressman resigned
after pleading guilty in November to taking $2.4 million in bribes from
Wade and others in return for steering federal funds and contracts their
way." ... "The court filings indicated a new direction for the corruption
inquiry, as Wade pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge that he also provided
benefits to an unnamed Defense official and other Defense employees to
get them to help Wade's company, MZM Inc." ... "The description of the
official-turned-MZM-employee in the court papers matches Robert Fromm,
who worked at the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville
[Virginia] as program manager for a computer project known as FIRES and
subsequently went to work for MZM." ... "Wade also pleaded guilty to election
law fraud for making nearly $80,000 in illegal campaign contributions to
"Representatives A and B," who are identifiable as Goode and Harris." ...
"The congressman identifiable as Goode received $46,000 in such disguised
contributions in 2003 and 2005, the court papers said. That was part of
about $90,000 Wade and his workers contributed to Goode. Wade then asked
the member to request appropriations for an MZM facility in his district,
the Wade papers said, and a Goode staff member confirmed to Wade that the
bill would include $9 million in funding." ... "The member identifiable
as Harris received $32,000 in illegal donations from Wade and his employees
in 2004. Documents filed with Wade's plea say that he took Harris to dinner
early last year, where they discussed the possibility of another fundraiser
and the possibility of getting funding for a Navy counterintelligence program
in the member's district. One source familiar with the inquiry said Harris
made such a request for funding, but it was not granted." -By
Charles R. Babcock with contributions by Walter Pincus and Madonna Lebling
-WashingtonPost
20060224
-
GOV
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- California
- "Defense
contractor: I paid $1 million in bribes." ... "Mitchell
Wade pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring with former [California
Republican] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to bribe the lawmaker with cash,
cars and antiques, and to help him evade millions of dollars in tax liability."
... "Wade, former president of defense contractor MZM Inc. in Washington,
also acknowledged making nearly $80,000 in illegal campaign contributions
in the names of MZM employees and their spouses to two other members of
Congress, who were not identified." ... "MZM does classified intelligence
work for the military. MZM's government contracts soared from less than
$1 million a year to tens of millions of dollars annually in recent years."
-AP via -CNN
20051128
-
California
- Military
- Business
- Politics
- "Bribed
congressman resigns, pleads guilty to charges." ...
"The co-conspirators are not named in the charging documents. Public records
show relationships between [California Republican Randy "Duke"] Cunningham
and two contractors whom he helped get Pentagon work: MZM and ADCS. MZM's
former president, Mitchell Wade, bought Cunningham's former house, allowing
him to buy a more expensive house in Rancho Santa Fe. Brent Wilkes, founder
of ADCS, raised $105,250 in personal, company and employee campaign contributions
for Cunningham during the past decade. Neither Wade nor Wilkes has been
charged with a crime. Their lawyers declined to comment." ... "ADCS landed
more than $90 million in government contracts since 1997, when Cunningham
helped the company get one of its first Pentagon contracts. Wilkes also
provided a corporate jet for Cunningham to use on fundraising trips, campaign-finance
records show." -By Jim Drinkard and Matt Kelley
-USATODAY
20051109
-
California
-Virginia
- Political
- Business
- Law
-
 Privacy
-  Secret
- Intelligence
- "Secret
military spending gets little oversight." ... "A
USA TODAY analysis of MZM-related campaign contributions shows how the
company's growth and its political activities became intertwined at key
moments. In more than 30 instances, donations from MZM's political action
committee or company employees went to two members of the House Appropriations
Committee — [California Republican Randy] Cunningham and Rep. Virgil Goode,
R-Va. [Virginia] — in the days surrounding key votes or contract awards
that helped MZM grow." ... "For example, MZM's political action committee
gave Cunningham $5,000 in 2003 the day before his appointment to a congressional
panel negotiating the final version of the defense budget. Ten days later,
the day after the House passed the final Pentagon spending bill, Wade gave
Cunningham $2,000." ... "Both lawmakers sit on the subcommittee overseeing
the Pentagon's spending and have acknowledged putting language in bills
that created or expanded contracts that went to MZM." -By
Matt Kelley and Jim Drinkard -USATODAY
20050622
-
Mitchell
Wade -
 Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- Virgil
H Goode Jr
- Money
- Government
- Politics
- MZM
-  Workers
- Secret
- Military
- Intelligence
- California
-  Nevada
- Va
- Fla
- "Workers
say MZM founder pressed them to give to PAC." ...
"Mitchell Wade, founder of the defense contracting firm MZM Inc., pressured
employees to donate to a political fund that benefited [California Republican
Representative] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and other members of Congress,
according to three former employees of the company." ... "Wade, who took
a $700,000 loss on the purchase of Cunningham's Del Mar home and allows
the congressman to stay on his yacht while in Washington, demanded employees
make donations to the company's political action committee, MZM PAC, they
said." ... "Many companies have PACs, but campaign finance laws prohibit
employers from pressuring workers to contribute to the PAC. They may encourage
contributions, but not compel them." ... "In the past week, Wade resigned
the posts of president and chief executive officer of the company, turning
over those duties to Chief Operating Officer Frank Bragg, company sources
said. Wade remains the primary shareholder of the privately held, Nevada-licensed
company, sources added." ... "The resignations came after the Union-Tribune
reported that Wade had purchased and then sold Cunningham's Del Mar house
at a loss of $700,000 and has allowed the Rancho Santa Fe Republican to
stay aboard his yacht, called the Duke-Stir, while in the nation's capital.
The FBI and a federal grand jury are investigating the matter." ... "Little
public information exists on what MZM – a name based on the first names
of Wade's children Matthew, Zachary and Morgan – does for the government.
Former employees, however, say much of its work is with three defense intelligence
operations:" ... "Counter Intelligence Field Activity, a highly secretive
program created in 2002 by a Pentagon directive that focuses on gathering
intelligence to avert attacks like the ones on Sept. 11, 2001." ... "The
Army National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville, [Virginia]
Va., whose mission is to provide soldiers with battlefield intelligence."
... "The U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Ft. Belvoir, [Virginia]
Va., just outside Washington, which also provides battlefield intelligence."
... "MZM has been seeking to increase its contracts with the Central Command,
which oversees military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Special
Operations Command, both based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, [Florida]
Fla., according to former employees." ... "They and other former MZM employees
questioned the way Wade solicited contracts from Defense Department intelligence
agencies during the time they worked for the company." ... "They also expressed
concerns about Wade's dealings with three House members who received a
large portion of the money disbursed by MZM's PAC. The three – all Republicans
– are Cunningham and Reps. Virgil Goode of Virginia and Katherine Harris
of Florida." ... "One of the former MZM employees quoted Wade as describing
his congressional strategy this way: "The only people I want to work with
are people I give checks to. I own them."" -By Marcus
Stern with contributions by Jerry Kammer -SignOnSanDiego.com
|
|
MZM News Sources:
Search MZM News:
News
Search
<MZM>
in:
<AllTheWeb-[News]>
<AltaVista-[News]>
<Google-[News]>
<MSN-[News]>
Specialty search:
<Google's U.S. "Uncle
Sam," .gov and .mil>
Search:
<MZM
News>
in:
<Google>
<MSN>
<Yahoo>
|
