Reply #116: And it may tie into the madam threatening to sell her

[Mnemosyne]

list of clients. Or maybe I'm just imagining a tie.

Bold and Italics mine.


Cunningham Scandal: Enter the Hookers

By Justin Rood - April 27, 2006, 7:35 AM

The Wall Street Journal reports today that admitted briber Mitchell Wade of MZM, Inc. helped procure prostitutes for former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) -- and possibly for others:

According to people with knowledge of the investigation, Mr. Wade told investigators that Mr. Cunningham periodically phoned him to request a prostitute, and that Mr. Wade then helped to arrange for one. A limousine driver then picked up the prostitute as well as Mr. Cunningham, and drove them to one of hotel suites, originally at the Watergate Hotel, and subsequently at the Westin Grand.

. . . Investigators are focusing on whether any other members of Congress, or their staffs, may also have used the same free services, though it isn't clear whether investigators have turned up anything to implicate others.

Wade says his mentor and fellow Cunningham briber Brent Wilkes had set up the ring -- rented the hotel rooms, found the limousine company and the hookers. According to the WSJ, Wade says he usually passed off Cunningham's requests to Wilkes to set up.

More on this later. . .

not much more @ link:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000481.php


Red Lights on Capitol Hill?

Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006. By Ken Silverstein.

The two defense contractors who allegedly bribed Cunningham, said the Journal, were Brent Wilkes, the founder of ADCS Inc., and Mitchell Wade, the founder of MZM Inc.; both firms profited greatly from their connections with Cunningham. The Journal also suggested that other lawmakers might be implicated. I’ve learned from a well-connected source that those under intense scrutiny by the FBI are current and former lawmakers on Defense and Intelligence committees—including one person who now holds a powerful intelligence post. I’ve also been able to learn the name of the limousine service that was used to ferry the guests and other attendees to the parties: Shirlington Limousine and Transportation of Arlington, Virginia. Wilkes, I’ve learned, even hired Shirlington as his personal limousine service.

It gets even more interesting: the man who has been identified as the CEO of Shirlington has a 62-page rap sheet (I recently obtained a copy) that runs from at least 1979 through 1989 and lists charges of petit larceny, robbery, receiving stolen goods, assault, and more. Curiously—or perhaps not so curiously given the company’s connections—Shirlington Limousine is also a Department of Homeland Security contractor; according to the Washington Post, last fall it won a $21.2 million contract for shuttle services and transportation support. (I tried to contact Shirlington but was unable to get past their answering service.)

snip>

Azimuth has received earmarked funds with Mollohan’s help and is the congressman’s number-15 career donor with $23,000. Information Manufacturing of Rocket Center, West Virginia, is number 13 on Mollohan’s top-20 list, with $24,000 in career contributions. Back in 2001, Information Manufacturing helped to pay for a golf tournament hosted by the Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation, a charity named for Mollohan’s father. (Information Manufacturing was also a business partner of MZM, the firm headed by Mitchell Wade, who recently pleaded guilty to bribing Representative Duke Cunningham. Wade has donated more than $20,000 to Mollohan.)

http://harpers.org/sb-red-lights-on-capitol-hill.html



Prosecutors May Widen Congressional-Bribe Case
Cunningham Is Suspected Of Asking for Prostitutes;
Were Others Involved?

By SCOT J. PALTROW
April 27, 2006

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether two contractors implicated in the bribery of former Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham supplied him with prostitutes and free use of a limousine and hotel suites, pursuing evidence that could broaden their long-running inquiry.

snip>

In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement. In an interview, the assistant general manager of the Watergate Hotel confirmed that federal investigators had requested, and been given, records relating to the investigation and rooms in the hotel. But he declined to disclose what the records show. A spokeswoman for Starwood Inc., Westin's parent company, said she wasn't immediately able to get information on whether the Westin Grand had been contacted by investigators.

snip>

Mr. Wade told investigators that all the arrangements for these services had been made by Mr. Wilkes and two employees of Mr. Wilkes's company, according to people with knowledge of his debriefing. He said Mr. Wilkes had rented the hotel suites and found the limousine driver, who had "relationships" with several escort services. Mr. Wade told prosecutors that sometimes Mr. Cunningham would contact him to request these services, and he would pass on the request to Mr. Wilkes or his employees, who then made the actual arrangement. Mr. Wade said that other times Mr. Cunningham called Mr. Wilkes directly to make the requests.

If investigators find that any other members of Congress or their staffs received services at so-called hospitality suites, that could help make a case that they had illegally taken action to benefit Mr. Wilkes in return for favors from him. Mr. Wilkes, his family members and his employees were heavy campaign contributors to several members of Congress. But prosecutors so far apparently haven't found any evidence that other members of Congress had been bribed.

much more @ link:

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114610728002837324-nRnF_ahxSnYdWg6foBQ3_mvCwZ4_20070427.html?mod=blogs



Prostitution Alleged In Cunningham Case
Investigators Focus on Limo Company

By Jo Becker and Charles R. Babcock
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 29, 2006; Page A01

The Cunningham investigation's latest twist came after Mitchell J. Wade, a defense contractor who has admitted bribing the former congressman, told prosecutors that Wilkes had an arrangement with Shirlington Limousine, which in turn had an arrangement with at least one escort service, one source said. Wade said limos would pick up Cunningham and a prostitute and bring them to suites Wilkes maintained at the Watergate Hotel and the Westin Grand in Washington, the source said.

snip>

In 2003 and again in 2004, the company received eviction notices for an office it maintained in a luxury D.C. apartment building. And in September 2004, the company was sued in D.C. Superior Court for $1.8 million, for failing to make payments on buses it bought for the Howard contract. The case was settled last month, with Shirlington Limousine agreeing to pay $300,000.

During these financial troubles, Baker's company won a contract worth $3.8 million with the Department of Homeland Security in April 2004. It appears from federal records that Shirlington Limousine was the only bidder. The contract was awarded under a program that limited competition to businesses in poor neighborhoods. (Smells like a Nebraska S&L somehow.)

snip>

He stressed that Shirlington Limousine has performed well, saying: "We have not had any problems with this service -- we don't question whether they can deliver because they are delivering." How prophetic! :rofl:

more @ link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042802345.html


Kristol: ‘Sudden’ Goss Resignation Prompted By ‘Something That Popped This Week’

Posted by Nico May 5, 2006 4:08 pm

Comments:

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/05/kristol-goss/

View video of Kristol:

http://images1.americanprogress.org/il80web20037/ThinkProgress/2006/kristolgoss.320.240.mov


Poker, Hookers And Spooks

By MAUREEN DOWD
6 May 2006

The New York Times
Late Edition - Final
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

snip>

But Dusty Foggo? That’s a name for a spy that tops Valerie Plame, or even Valerie Flame.

And when you add Dusty to Duke, you’ve really got something. Dusty was handpicked by Porter Goss in late 2004 to be the No. 3 C.I.A. official, astonishing many agency veterans, according to Newsweek.

Dusty turns out to be a friend of a defense contractor implicated in the federal corruption investigation of the imprisoned Randy ”Duke” Cunningham, a former G.O.P. congressman. The contractor, Brent Wilkes, is entangled in allegations of louche, lewd behavior involving limos, hookers, a poker player with a missing digit who’s from the C.I.A. and nicknamed ”Nine Fingers,” and Watergate hospitality suites where more was offered than just Scotch and pretzels.

Been to the Watergate, haven’t done that.

Excerpt only @ link:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Dowd_Poker_hookers_and_spooks_0505.html


“Nine Fingers” and the Third Man
New connections between the CIA and the Cunningham Scandal

Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006. By Ken Silverstein.

snip>

So now two of Goss’s close associates, Foggo and Bassett, have a lot of explaining to do about their relationship with Brent Wilkes—”the pivotal figure in the Cunningham affair. And just today, TPMMuckracker pointed out that Gen. Michael V. Hayden, President George W. Bush’s nominee to replace Goss, once hired the services of MZM, the firm owned by Mitchell Wade; Wade has admitted to bribing Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Maybe a coincidence, but definitely an odd one.

http://harpers.org/sb-ninefingers-and-third-2308948203.html


DHS Finds Missing Cunningham Letter
Support Staffer Unearths Recommendation of Limo Company

By Erica Werner
Associated Press
Saturday, June 17, 2006; A08

The letter, dated Jan. 16, 2004, is a character reference by Cunningham, who is now serving a prison term for bribery, on behalf of Shirlington President Christopher D. Baker, whose rap sheet included prosecutions for petty larceny and robbery.

"I have personally known Mr. Baker since the mid-1990s. He is completely dedicated to his work and has been of service to me and other members of Congress over the years," Cunningham wrote.

"Mr. Baker's transportation-oriented business was able to withstand the devastating impact of 9/11, while operating from Hangar 7 at Ronald Reagan International Airport. Please be advised of my full support of his wish to provide transportation services for the Department of Homeland Security."

Four months later, Shirlington got its first DHS contract, for $4 million.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/16/AR2006061601609.html