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J
Dennis Hastert - 
DeLay
- 
Foley
- Cunningham
- 
Ney
- 
Legislation
- 
History
- 
Illinois
- 
Texas
- 
Ga
- 
La
- 
Florida
- 
California
- 
Ohio
- "Hastert
Planning to Retire at End of 2008, GOP Sources Say."
... "After less than a year as a rank-and-file House member, former Speaker
[Illinois Republican Representative] J. Dennis Hastert is expected to call
an end to a political career that made him the longest serving Republican
Speaker in the history of the House of Representatives." ... "Hastert,
65, was first elected to Congress in 1986 after GOP [Illinois Republican
Representative] Rep. John E. Grotberg retired. He quietly worked his way
up the ranks in the House, propelled into the Republican leadership in
1994 by then-Rep. [Texas Republican Representative] Tom DeLay, R-Texas."
... "Hastert ran DeLay’s successful upstart campaign for majority whip
after Republicans captured control of Congress, and DeLay in turn named
Hastert as his chief deputy. Four years later, in 1998, DeLay helped to
elevate Hastert to Speaker after [Georgia Republican Representative] Newt
Gingrich, R-Ga., stepped down following the loss of GOP seats in that year’s
elections and [Louisiana Republican Representative] Robert L. Livingston,
R-La., withdrew abruptly from contention after acknowledging an extramarital
affair." ... "Throughout his time as Speaker, Hastert was personally popular
with rank-and-file Republicans, who never saw him as part of the ethics
problems that plagued DeLay and former [Florida Republican Representative]
Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla. (1995-2006), or the criminal misdeeds of former
[California Republican Representative] Reps. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif.
(1991-2005) and [Ohio Republican Representative] Bob Ney, R-Ohio (1995-2006)."
... "He also set a standard for the GOP majority by only allowing legislation
on the floor of the House that was backed by the “majority of the majority,”
[of Republicans] an approach that all but denied Democrats a chance to
help shape legislation." ... "The minority party had little say in conferences
with the Senate during Hastert’s tenure, because conference committees
became an after-the-fact formality that rubber-stamped deals worked out
by a handful of House and Senate Republican members who operated under
the thumb of party leaders." -By Jonathan Allen with
contributions by Alan K. Ota, Martin Kady II, and David Nathe
-CQPolitics.com
Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- 
Kyle
Dustin "Dusty" Foggo - 
Porter
J Goss - Mitchell
Wade - Brent
Wilkes - Lawmakers
- 
Government
- 
Intelligence
- 
Money
- 
Politicians
- San
Diego - California
- Fla
- "Cunningham
report portrays entangled panel: The still-unreleased
findings say intelligence committee aides were used by the California congressman,
now in prison for bribery." ... "An internal investigation that the House
Intelligence Committee has refused to make public portrays the panel as
embarrassingly entangled in the [California Republican Representative]
Randy "Duke" Cunningham bribery scandal." ... "The document describes breakdowns
in leadership and controls that it says allowed Cunningham — the former
congressman (R-Rancho Santa Fe) who began an eight-year prison term last
year for taking bribes and evading taxes — to use his House position to
steer millions of dollars to corrupt contractors." ... "The report provides
the most detailed account to date of how former CIA Executive Director
Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo, whose indictment on charges of defrauding the
government was recently expanded, allegedly used committee connections
to advance his career at the agency." ... "For all its finger-pointing
at staffers, the document fails to address whether other committee members
were aware of Cunningham's abuses or were culpable. For instance, the report
avoids any scrutiny of former [Florida Republican Representative] Rep.
Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), who was chairman of the panel when Cunningham's
most egregious abuses occurred." ... "The report's principal author said
in an interview that the terms under which he was hired to conduct the
investigation prevented him from examining lawmakers' roles." ... "The
document says that Cunningham began pressing to fund special projects from
the moment he joined the House Intelligence Committee in 2001, and that
his demands intensified." ... "One project, a Pentagon counterintelligence
program known as Project Fortress, was being handled by contractor Mitchell
Wade, who has since pleaded guilty to paying bribes to Cunningham." ...
"The report suggests that Cunningham began working more closely with Wade,
leading to a rift with Brent Wilkes, another contractor accused of bribing
the congressman." ... "An indictment filed May 10 in U.S. District Court
in San Diego accuses Foggo of accepting lavish meals and vacation trips
while using his position at the CIA to try to steer more than $100 million
in agency funds to [contractor Brent] Wilkes." (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By Greg Miller -LAtimes
Michael
Battle
- Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- 
Michael
Elston
- San
Diego - California
- 
US
Attorney - Government
- Money
- Law
- Politics
- "Letter
to Washington: The show goes on." ... "A few days
after learning last December that she was to submit her resignation effective
Jan. 31, [San Diego California US Attorney Carol] Lam asked Michael Battle,
then the head of the U.S. attorney executive office, for extra time to
ensure “an orderly transition – especially regarding pending investigations
and several significant cases that were set to begin trial in the next
few months,” Lam wrote in her answers [respongind to House Judiciary Committee
questions]." ... "At the time, Lam was investigating corruption cases stemming
from her successful prosecution of former [California Republican Representative]
Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the Rancho Santa Fe Republican who pleaded
guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion charges after admitting to taking
more than $2.4 million in bribes. Cunningham was sentenced to more than
eight years in federal prison. Besides Lam, four other prosecutors were
presiding over corruption investigations when they were dismissed." ...
"About a month passed when Lam got a call from Michael Elston, Gonzales'
former chief of staff, telling her that her request for extra time was
“not being received positively” and that she “should stop thinking in terms
of the cases in the office.”" ... "“He insisted that I had to depart in
a matter of weeks, not months, and that these instructions were 'coming
from the very highest level of the government,' ” Lam wrote." ... "Lam
submitted her resignation Jan. 16, effective Feb. 15." -By
Dana Wilkie -Copley
via -Union-Tribune
Cunningham
- 
Renzi
- 
Gibbons
- 
Jerry
Lewis - 
Miers
- Sampson
- 
Griffin
- 
Rove
- Noteworthy
- Secret
- US
Attorneys - Law
- Money
- Politics
- Los
Angeles - California
- 
Arizona
- 
Nevada
- 
Arkansas
- "The
U.S. Attorney, the G.O.P. Congressman and the Timely Job Offer."
... "There is yet another United States attorney whose abrupt departure
from office is raising questions: Debra Wong Yang of Los Angeles [California]."
... "Carol Lam, the United States attorney in San Diego [California], was
fired after she put [California Republican Representative] Randy Cunningham,
known as Duke, in prison. Paul Charlton, in Arizona, was dismissed while
he was investigating [Arizona Republican Representative] Rick Renzi. Dan
Bogden, in Nevada, was fired while he was reportedly investigating [Republican]
Jim Gibbons, a congressman who was elected [Nevada] governor last year."
... "Ms. Yang was investigating [California Republican Representative]
Jerry Lewis, who was chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee."
... "Ms. Yang says she left for personal reasons, but there is growing
evidence that the White House was intent on removing her. Kyle Sampson,
the Justice Department staff member in charge of the firings, told investigators
last month in still-secret testimony that Harriet Miers, the White House
counsel at the time, had asked him more than once about Ms. Yang. He testified,
according to Congressional sources, that as late as mid-September, Ms.
Miers wanted to know whether Ms. Yang could be made to resign. Mr. Sampson
reportedly recalled that Ms. Miers was focused on just two United States
attorneys: Ms. Yang and Bud Cummins, the Arkansas prosecutor who was later
fired to make room for Tim Griffin, a Republican political operative and
Karl Rove protégé." ... "Press reports say she [Ms. Yang]
got a $1.5 million signing bonus to become a partner in Gibson, Dunn &
Crutcher, a firm with strong Republican ties." ... "Gibson, Dunn was defending
Mr. Lewis in Ms. Yang’s investigation." -By Adam Cohen
-NYTimes
Foley
- Hastert
- Cunningham
- DeLay
- Ney
- 
Children
- Lawmakers
- Politics
- 2006
Election - Florida
- Illinois
- California
- Texas
- Ohio
- "FBI
looks at [Florida Republican] Foley's e-mails to teens."
... "[Illinois Republican] House Speaker Dennis Hastert asked the Justice
Department on Sunday to investigate former [Florida Republican] congressman
Mark Foley's communications with teenage boys who worked as House pages."
... "Hastert has said he knew about non-sexual e-mails that Foley, 52,
a Florida Republican, sent to a 16-year-old former page, first reported
by ABC News on Thursday." ... "Foley is the fourth House Republican forced
out by ethics problems. [Republican] Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California
resigned in November after pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in
bribes. Former majority leader [Republican] Tom DeLay of Texas was indicted
on state campaign finance violations and resigned in June. [Republican]
Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio has agreed to plead guilty to charges of corruption
and is not seeking re-election [in 2006]." ... "House Democratic leader
Nancy Pelosi [from California] called on the House ethics committee Sunday
to question GOP leaders under oath. "They chose to cover it up rather than
to protect these children," she said." -By Richard
Wolf and Kevin Johnson with contributions by Kathy Kiely, Jill Lawrence,
Matt Kelley, and Wendy Koc -USATODAY
Secret
- Government
- 
Military
- Intelligence
- Business
- Law
- Cunningham
- California
- "'Duke'
Inquiry Cites Breakdowns: The findings could widen
the [California Republican] Cunningham scandal, a Democratic memo suggests."
... "An internal congressional investigation has found that "major breakdowns"
in legislative controls enabled former Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham
to use his position on the House Intelligence Committee to steer classified
government contracts to political cronies, according to a memo distributed
this week to Democrats on the panel." ... "The memo accuses Republicans
of backing out of an agreement to subpoena Cunningham, and calls for the
public release of a 20-page unclassified report documenting the findings
of the investigation." ... "The criminal investigation of Cunningham focused
largely on the military contracts he influenced as a member of the House
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee." ... "But the internal House probe
has found a similar pattern of abuses in contracts involving U.S. intelligence
agencies — and includes language describing cases in which the disgraced
congressman pressured committee aides to set aside secret funds for his
associates, according to congressional sources familiar with the investigation."
(1, 2)
-By Greg Miller -LAtimes
Randy
Cunningham
- Secret
- Government
- Political
- Business
- Legislation
- California
- "Study:
Ex-Rep. Made Use of 'Black' Budgets: Study: Cunningham
Slipped Items Into Classified Bills That Benefited Him, His Associates."
... "An independent investigation has found that imprisoned former [California
Republican] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took advantage of secrecy and
badgered congressional aides to help slip items into classified bills that
would benefit him and his associates." ... "The finding comes from Michael
Stern, an outside investigator hired by the House Intelligence Committee
to look into how Cunningham was able to carry out the scheme. Stern is
working with the committee to fix vulnerabilities in the way top-secret
legislation is written, said congressional officials who spoke on condition
of anonymity because the committee still is being briefed on Stern's findings."
... "Cunningham's case has put a stark spotlight on the oversight of classified
or "black" budgets. Unlike legislation dealing with social and economic
issues, intelligence bills and parts of defense bills are written in private,
in the name of national security." ... "Federal prosecutors found that
Cunningham accepted $2.4 million in bribes, including payments for a mansion,
a Rolls-Royce and a 65-foot yacht, in return for steering defense and intelligence
contracts to certain companies. Cunningham pleaded guilty and was sentenced
to more than eight years in prison." (1, 2,
3)
-By Katherine Shrader
-AP via -ABCNEWS.com
Kyle
"Dusty" Foggo
- Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- Brent
Wilkes - Intelligence
- Law
- Money
- Politics
- San
Diego - California
- 
Virginia
- "FBI
searches home of ex-CIA official: The FBI searched
the home and office of former CIA Executive Director Kyle "Dusty" Foggo
on Friday, the CIA said." ... "Foggo, who was the spy agency's third-ranking
official, is part of a broad law enforcement investigation into allegations
of corruption, according to officials familiar with the probe." ... "The
Associated Press reported that Foggo has been under investigation by the
FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service,
the CIA's inspector general and the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego,
California, according to FBI spokeswoman April Langwell in San Diego. Langwell
told the AP that officials -- under a sealed warrant -- searched Foggo's
Virginia home and his office at the CIA's Langley, Virginia, campus." ...
"Foggo, who resigned this week from his job overseeing day-to-day CIA operations,
is under investigation over his ties to a defense contractor linked to
the bribery case against former [California Republican Representative]
U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-California." ... "The investigations
stem from Foggo's relationship with defense contractor Brent Wilkes." ...
"After reports surfaced last week alleging Wilkes provided Cunningham with
limousines and prostitutes at two Washington hotels, Foggo said he had
attended poker parties thrown by Wilkes there." -Contributed
to by Kevin Bohn and John Roberts -CNN
Intelligence
- Porter
Goss - Randy
Cunningham
- California
- Military
- Business
- Politics
- Law
- "Law
Enforcement Searches Exiting CIA Deputy's Home."
... "CIA and FBI officers today searched the home and former office of
the recently retired third-ranking official at the CIA, who is under investigation
for his ties to a defense contractor linked to the bribery scandal that
has landed former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-San Diego [California])
in jail." ... "Kyle "Dusty" Foggo resigned as CIA executive director Monday.
He had been a top aide to CIA Director Porter J. Goss, who was forced to
resign the previous Friday." ... "A CIA spokeswoman said Foggo's legal
troubles had "absolutely nothing" to do with Goss' decision to resign."
... "They have been investigating whether Foggo played an improper role
in the awarding of defense contracts to Brent Wilkes, a personal friend
and San Diego businessman who has been implicated in the bribery scandal
involving Cunningham." -By Richard Schmitt
-LAtimes
California
- Randy
Cunningham - Law
- "Republican
race for Cunningham's seat remains up in the air."
... "The Republican Party's choice to replace jailed former [Republican]
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham remained up in the air Wednesday, with the
two leading candidates separated by less than 900 votes and neither side
claiming outright victory." ... "The Republican nominee will face a June
runoff against Democrat Francine Busby, who advanced easily with 44 percent
of the vote to lead all 18 candidates on the ballot. The winner of the
June runoff will finish the final eight months of Cunningham's term - and
immediately begin campaigning for November." ... "Cunningham represented
the wealthy coastal district for 12 years before he resigned in disgrace
late last year. He was sentenced in March to more than eight years in prison
for accepting $2.4 million in bribes." -By Allison
Hoffman -AP
via -MercuryNews
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
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
Tom
DeLay
- Money
- Politics
- Jack
Abramoff
- Randy
Cunningham
- "`DeLay
Inc.' Lobbying Firm Has Links to Three Capital Scandals."
... "Representative Tom DeLay's campaign to get Republicans to dominate
Washington lobbying may have worked too well for Alexander Strategy Group."
... "The firm has links to no fewer than three of the scandals convulsing
the U.S. capital. One partner, former DeLay aide Tony Rudy, is now a focus
of a federal investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The group's founder,
former DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham, set up a South Korea junket for
his old boss that violated ethics rules. And the firm represents a company
whose owner, prosecutors allege, bribed former Representative Randy Cunningham."
... "Alexander Strategy's links to lawmakers are an outgrowth of a decade-long
effort by DeLay, 58, to force lobbying firms to hire more Republicans,
who can direct corporate money to the party. The system, known as ``DeLay
Inc.'' or ``the K Street Project,'' has fueled a surge of money in politics,
and critics say it has also created the potential for greater corruption."
-By Michael Forsythe -Bloomberg
Jerry
Lewis - Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- Government
- Military
- Money
- Law
- Politics
- California
- "Close
ties make Rep. Lewis, lobbyist Lowery a potent pair."
... "From powerful positions on the House Appropriations Committee, California
[Republican Representative] Rep. Jerry Lewis has greenlighted hundreds
of millions of dollars in federal projects for clients of one of his closest
friends, lobbyist and former [Republican Represenatative from California]
state Congressman Bill Lowery." ... "Meanwhile, Lowery, the partners at
his firm [Copeland Lowery Jacquez Denton & White] and their clients
have donated 37 percent of the $1.3 million that Lewis' political action
committee received in the past six years." ... "One of the defense companies
that received federal contracts with [convicted California Republican Representative
Randy "Duke"] Cunningham's support was a Lowery client [Brent Wilkes' ADCS
Inc.]. And some of the money was disbursed when Cunningham was a member
of the defense appropriations subcommittee and Lewis was the committee
chairman." ... "Lowery, his partners and their spouses have contributed
$135,000 to Lewis' campaigns and political action committee over the past
decade, routinely giving the maximum allowed by law. Lowery also organizes
and hosts Lewis fundraisers. And many of Lowery's defense-contractor clients
contribute to Lewis as part of their lobbying strategy." ... "Taken together,
they have contributed $480,000 to Lewis' political action committee since
2000." ... "Last year Lewis used some of that money to wow the Republican
leadership with checks for $650,000 in "excess campaign funds" to help
maintain Republican control of the House." ... "In 1999 Lewis became chairman
of the defense appropriations subcommittee, which oversees more discretionary
spending than any other congressional body." ... "Despite that early demonstration
of fiscal toughness, earmarks in the defense bills exploded on Lewis' watch."
... "Many of the earmarks went to clients of Lowery's firm, which grew
even more prosperous when Lewis' principal defense-earmarks gatekeeper,
Letitia White, joined the firm in 2003." -By Jerry
Kammer with contributions by Denise Davidson, Erin Hobbs and Peter Uribe
-CopleyNews.com
via -SignOnSanDiego.com
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
California
- Political
- Military
- Business
- "Rep.
Randy 'Duke' Cunningham Pleads Guilty, Resigns."
... "[California Republican] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned his
office today after pleading guilty to fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery
and tax evasion in a political corruption case." ... "U.S. District Judge
Larry Burns accepted the pleas from Cunningham, 63, including the congressman's
admission in federal court that he had accepted bribes in exchange for
performance of his official duties." ... "According to court papers, Cunningham
"demanded and received" a bribe from a defense contractor who paid an inflated
price for Cunningham's home in exchange for official favors." -By
Tony Perry -LAtimes
via -Newsday.com
California
- Military
- Politics
- "San
Diego-area Rep. Cunningham pleads guilty to bribery, resigns."
... "[California Republican] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham tearfully resigned
Monday after pleading guilty to bribery and admitting he took $2.4 million
to steer defense contracts to conspirators using his leadership position
on a congressional subcommittee." ... "Authorities said Cunningham secured
defense contracts worth tens of millions of dollars for the people who
bribed him. The case grew from an investigation into the sale of his home
in wealthy Del Mar to a wide-ranging conspiracy involving payments in cash,
vacations and antiques from unidentified conspirators." -By
Elliot Spagat with contributions by Erica Werner-AP
via -MercuryNews
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
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
