http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=1331575&ct=1766455ETHICS
The Other Mega-Scandal
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pled guilty to to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials, capturing the attention of Washington's chattering class who believe Abramoff will incriminate numerous members of Congress. (They are probably right.) But another scandal -- which could be equally damaging to powerful conservatives in Congress -- lurks in the shadows. Federal prosecutors have already secured a guilty plea from former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA), who had admitted to "to taking more than $2 million in bribes in a criminal conspiracy involving at least three defense contractors." But the investigation is far from over. In the end, two powerful House chairman -- Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) of the Armed Services Committee and Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) of the Appropriations Committee -- could become ensarled in the legal probe. Both men have close connections to military contractor Brent Wilkes -- who is referred to as "co-conspirator No. 1" in Justice department documents -- and who provided more that $630,00 in cash and favors to Cunningham "for help in landing millions of dollars in federal contracts."
THE DUNCAN HUNTER CONNECTION: Along with Cunningham, Duncan Hunter helped companies who have employed Wilkes -- ADCS Inc.and Audre Inc. -- secure over $190 million for a system to "convert printed documents to computer files" that the Department of Defense said they didn't need. (This included "a $9.7 million contract for ADCS to digitize historical documents from the Panama Canal Zone that the Pentagon considered insignificant.") A 1994 report from the General Accounting Office noted that the DoD "already had the tools for such work." The San Diego Tribune notes "Cunningham, Hunter and their House allies didn’t care. Audre and ADCS were generous with contributions – and ADCS executive Brent Wilkes allegedly was bribing Cunningham." The Tribune concludes, "This isn't governance. This is looting."
THE JERRY LEWIS CONNECTION: Wilkes also employed a lobbyist named Bill Lowery, paying him about $200,000 between 1998-2000. What did all that money buy? Access to House Appropriations Committee chairman Jerry Lewis. According to a three month investigation by Copley News Service, Lewis "has greenlighted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal project for clients" of Bill Lowrey. Meanwhile, "Lowery, the partners at his firm and their clients have donated 37 percent of the $1.3 million that Lewis' political action committee received in the past six years." Copley reports "the essential ingredient in the Lew-Lowery relationship is earmarking, the congressional practice in which special projects, sometimes derided as 'pork,' are slipped quietly into the federal budget without public review." Virtually every client who has signed up with Lowery in recent years "cashed in with earmarks." Lowery was also tight with Duke Cunningham, paying the staff's $1800 bill for their 2001 Christmas party at a fancy restaurant in D.C.
WHY DID THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPT CUNNINGHAM'S PLEA: It is conventional wisdom that the government agreed to a plea deal with Jack Abramoff -- one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington -- only after he agreed to provide information about people higher up the food chain, powerful members of Congress. The government also gave Rep. Duke Cunningham a plea deal. Why? It stands the reason that he will cooperate in efforts to prosecute more powerful members of Congress, possibly including Hunter and Lewis.
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