Mickey Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 It looks like Duke Cunningham, a former fighter pilot whose later political career has tragically ended with convictions for bribery is likely just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Mitchell Wade, formerly of defense contractor MZM, Inc., partcipated in a sweetheart real estate deal with the Duke that netted the congressman over 1.6 million for a house worth about 975G's. Not long after that, MZM's flagging business picked up as it started to win numerous defense contracts. Of course, Duke was on the Defense Appropriations Committee. Mr. Wade was not so foolish as to put all his corruption into one congressional basket. None other than Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), yes that Katherine Harris had a one day haul of 28G's from a visit at the MZM trough in March of 2004. She was given 14 checks totaling 2 grand each from MZM employees who later claimed that the "donations" were coerced. A week later Wade's wife gave Harris two more $2,000 checks for a one week MZM haul for Harris of 30 large. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) received over 48G's from MZM employees in the 2004 election cycle and over 38 since to get ready for next year. Oh, and Goode also had the Foreign Supplier Assessment Center built in his district which is being run by MZM, something the Defense Department didn't ask for. It has a 3 million dollar budget this year and is listed as a "Congressional Add" in the budget documents. FSAC Budget The Abramoff and Delay investigations continue. Michael Scanlon has agreed to testify in the Abramoff scandal after pleading guilty to bribery charges. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) seems to be the congressman in the most hot water now that Scanlon has been flipped. Certainly at some point, if these things are investigated fully, we will see a fair share of democrats in trouble as well since this kind of corruption appears to be standard practice. I would think that given their control of every committee and sub-committee in the House that Republicans will end up with the most dirt to wipe off. There is not as much reason to bribe democrats, they don't control anything. Pigs at the trough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Politics as usual. Welcome to big government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 At least my Congressman is free of graft, he did stick a twelve gauge to his ex-wife's head at a baby shower uninvited, but not guilty of graft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 I would think that given their control of every committee and sub-committee in the House that Republicans will end up with the most dirt to wipe off. There is not as much reason to bribe democrats, they don't control anything. 515177[/snapback] and even if the Dems did control Congress, history has proven that you can't bribe a Democrat its all one big scam regardless which party you belong to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 None but ourselves to blame really. I'll bet Goode's constituents were perfectly happy to have that $3 Million per year FSAC in their district and will vote to send him back provided he isn't indicted first. Didn't Alaska go kablooey over losing the money for some bridges to nowhere? One of the Dakotas also had a fit over a big base closing. I dimly recall that both of these alleged wastes of cash were restored. Pork=The public funds spent in someone else's district. Sound fiscal policy=the money spent in your district. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope zimli Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 If there were a time for a real anti-corruption special prosecutor this is it. Congress the Senate, the Executive Branch, the Pentagon, the DOD and other agencies are rife with it. I'd love to see a prosecutor like Fitzpatrick or others given the green light. I'd also encourage use of the False Claims Act and the strengthening of other statutes protecting and rewarding government whistleblowers who bring this stuff to light. Hooray for the system that got the Duke. Let's go after the bribe givers and other legislators, Democrat and Republican, who solicit and accept bribes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IowaBill Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 None but ourselves to blame really. I'll bet Goode's constituents were perfectly happy to have that $3 Million per year FSAC in their district and will vote to send him back provided he isn't indicted first. Didn't Alaska go kablooey over losing the money for some bridges to nowhere? One of the Dakotas also had a fit over a big base closing. I dimly recall that both of these alleged wastes of cash were restored. Pork=The public funds spent in someone else's district. Sound fiscal policy=the money spent in your district. 515294[/snapback] I used to live in Goode's district (southern VA). He could be indicted and still get re-elected with no problem (how dare the mean ole' guvmmint pick on ole' Vurjil!), he has what is essentialy a lifetime seat, more so than most Representatives. He switched parties from (yellow dog) Democrat to Independent shortly after he was elected the first time and then to Republican. Goode's particular pork project with MZM is needed in an area that is dying a slow death with the demise of the textile and furniture industry. While much of Virginia has the among the lowest unemplyment inthe country, many parts of Southern VA has double digit unemeployment numbers, and has had them for a number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 If there were a time for a real anti-corruption special prosecutor this is it. Congress the Senate, the Executive Branch, the Pentagon, the DOD and other agencies are rife with it. I'd love to see a prosecutor like Fitzpatrick or others given the green light. I'd also encourage use of the False Claims Act and the strengthening of other statutes protecting and rewarding government whistleblowers who bring this stuff to light. Hooray for the system that got the Duke. Let's go after the bribe givers and other legislators, Democrat and Republican, who solicit and accept bribes. 515329[/snapback] that would make a good movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 If there were a time for a real anti-corruption special prosecutor this is it. Congress the Senate, the Executive Branch, the Pentagon, the DOD and other agencies are rife with it. I'd love to see a prosecutor like Fitzpatrick or others given the green light. I'd also encourage use of the False Claims Act and the strengthening of other statutes protecting and rewarding government whistleblowers who bring this stuff to light. Hooray for the system that got the Duke. Let's go after the bribe givers and other legislators, Democrat and Republican, who solicit and accept bribes. 515329[/snapback] You can't do something like this all at once. We would be completely out of congressmen, senators and workers in the executive branch. BTW, it is likely worse in other countries with even bigger governments. BTW part 2, there is a high degree of likliehood that if you hire too many prosecutors, you will inevitably hire some crooked ones. Then what would we all do? The only guy left would be the last guy on the nightly clean up crew. On second thought.......go ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 You can't do something like this all at once. We would be completely out of congressmen, senators and workers in the executive branch. BTW, it is likely worse in other countries with even bigger governments. BTW part 2, there is a high degree of likliehood that if you hire too many prosecutors, you will inevitably hire some crooked ones. Then what would we all do? The only guy left would be the last guy on the nightly clean up crew. On second thought.......go ahead. 515420[/snapback] Yeah...I'm not really seeing a down-side here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope zimli Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I've seen it done. My brother was a prosecutor on organized crime in Buffalo in the 70's and indicted and convicted a number of corrupt public officials including a county legislator and an assistant DA in his own office (not to mention about 14 members of a certain group that supposedly did not exist and were the basis for a rather good series of Francis Ford Coppola films.) All it takes is the will to do it and some balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 (not to mention about 14 members of a certain group that supposedly did not exist and were the basis for a rather good series of Francis Ford Coppola films.) 516264[/snapback] He indicted 14 Green Berets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 He indicted 14 Green Berets? 516325[/snapback] Vampires from Bram Stoker's Dracula? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Guys in waste management? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pope zimli Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 He indicted 14 Green Berets? 516325[/snapback] Weren't the Green Berets a tacky John Wayne film? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Weren't the Green Berets a tacky John Wayne film? 517073[/snapback] Don't diss The Duke John Wayne > Kirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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