Nice wrap-up on the Duke Cunningham 5 - The Gang that couldn't stop taking

[Joanie Baloney]

It's been a long road but this gang has been officially disbanded. Now let's get the Big Guys.

Before the sentence was handed down yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Halpern verbally lashed Wilkes. He said Wilkes should get a stiffer sentence than Cunningham because the former congressman pleaded guilty early on, admitted to his corruption and forfeited most of his wealth.

In contrast, Halpern said, Wilkes remains defiant, has lived in his Poway mansion and was free while the case was prosecuted.

“We have a war hero on one side of the ledger,” he said, referring to Cunningham. “And on Mr. Wilkes' side of the ledger we have a war profiteer.”

Wilkes remained unrepentant in brief remarks to Burns during the 4½-hour hearing.

“Your honor, as you are aware, I have always maintained my innocence, and continue to do so,” he said.

That did not sit well with Burns, who said he did not believe Wilkes' testimony and found his insistence that he is innocent troubling.

“I don't have any strong feeling that he gets it,” the judge said. “I think if you were to do the right thing about this, today was the day to own up to it.”



More here:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080220-9999-1n20wilkes.html


JB