Defense Contractor Convicted of Bribery

[Michael Hogan]

Defense Contractor Convicted of Bribery

By Allison Hoffman

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A defense contractor was convicted Monday of bribing disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham with cash, meals, trips and other gifts in exchange for nearly $90 million in Pentagon work.

Brent Wilkes was convicted of all 13 counts against him, including conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and fraud. He faces as many as 20 years in prison in a corruption scandal that has rocked Congress.

The Pentagon contracts Wilkes received after lavishing Cunningham with more than $700,000 worth of perks were mainly for scanning paper documents, prosecutors said.

Cunningham, an eight-term Republican from California, pleaded guilty in 2005 to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from Wilkes and others — including antiques, boats, a used Rolls Royce and cash to pay the mortgage on his mansion. From Wilkes he received everything from cash to submachine gun shooting lessons and the services of prostitutes during a stay at a Hawaiian resort.....

Full story: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRUhowr...yExSAQD8SNPJJO0

[William Kelly]

Defense Contractor Convicted of Bribery

By Allison Hoffman

Associated Press

WAIT A MINUTE! - "MACHINE GUN SHOTTING LESSONS AND THE SERVICES OF PROSTITUTES DURING A STAY AT A HAWAIAN RESORT..."

NOW THAT'S SOMETHING - DID HE DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A defense contractor was convicted Monday of bribing disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham with cash, meals, trips and other gifts in exchange for nearly $90 million in Pentagon work.

Brent Wilkes was convicted of all 13 counts against him, including conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and fraud. He faces as many as 20 years in prison in a corruption scandal that has rocked Congress.

The Pentagon contracts Wilkes received after lavishing Cunningham with more than $700,000 worth of perks were mainly for scanning paper documents, prosecutors said.

Cunningham, an eight-term Republican from California, pleaded guilty in 2005 to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from Wilkes and others — including antiques, boats, a used Rolls Royce and cash to pay the mortgage on his mansion. From Wilkes he received everything from cash to submachine gun shooting lessons and the services of prostitutes during a stay at a Hawaiian resort.....

Full story: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRUhowr...yExSAQD8SNPJJO0