The tears flowed in San Diego on Monday when Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham confessed to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes.
A list of graft that included a Rolls-Royce and a yacht told a story of calculated greed and dishonesty.
His disgrace riveted Washington, where a cavalcade of Republican officials are under investigation or already facing charges – among them big-name stars such as Rep. Tom DeLay, Senate leader Bill Frist, vice presidential aide I. Lewis Libby and White House official Karl Rove.
As federal prosecutors probe the relationships between lawmakers, lobbyists and contractors, there could be even more Cunningham on the horizon. A Democratic congressman, William Jefferson of Louisiana, is also under investigation.
Last week, Michael Scanlon, an associate of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and before that an aide to DeLay, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe Ohio Rep. Bob Ney and other public officials in an investigation that centers on Brimful’s activities.
Both Scanning and Cunningham have agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors as the investigations continue.
Cunningham’s story raises many interesting questions. What’s going on at the Pentagon that a congressman could wield so much power that defense contractors would ply him with millions in favors and cash? And what about those contractors? They obviously didn’t think they needed to play fair to win military contracts. Will further investigation net more federal officials willing to trade in their ethics for a 19th century Louis-Philippe commode, as Cunningham did?
Cunningham had served on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee and the Intelligence Committee before he resigned Monday. The Vietnam War hero was such a prolific fund-raiser that he had cash on hand to help some of his GOP colleagues – including a $1,000 campaign donation to Colorado Rep. Bob Beauprez. Beauprez, now running for governor, obviously had no idea when he accepted the money in 2003 that it could have been tainted. Knowing that now, he should give it back.
With so many high-profile lawmakers already under investigation, Cunningham’s guilty plea was a sad surprise.
But we were glad to see his determination to cooperate with prosecutors who are trying to tame the temptations of corruption in official Washington.
