Contractors in Cunningham Probe Supported Other Lawmakers (Delay, Blunt..)

[sabra]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178216,00.html

Contractors in Cunningham Probe Supported Other Lawmakers
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Two defense contractors at the center of ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribery case also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to curry favor with other influential lawmakers, records show.

One contractor, Brent Wilkes, provided private jet flights to lawmakers, including Reps. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who is serving as majority leader while DeLay fights money-laundering charges in Texas.

Wilkes also raised at least $100,000 for President Bush's 2004 re-election bid and donated more than $70,000 to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appointed him to two state boards.

There's no indication that these donations were improper. Prosecutors have not suggested that the investigation that snared Cunningham, R-Calif. — who resigned last week after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes — involves other lawmakers.

[UpInArms]

1. here's a link to Wilkes' political contributions

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Wilkes&first=Brent&city=POWAY&zip=&xst=&next=25

it's some very interesting reading

:popcorn:

also see the contributions for Mitchell Wade

http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Mitchell_Wade.php

[sabra]

2. oooh, good stuff, thanks for the links.

peace.

[UpInArms]

3. here's a verrrryyy interesting article regarding Wilkes

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051204/news_1n4adcs.html

excerpt:

Wilkes' story shows how gifts, favors and campaign contributions can be used to gain lucrative business from the government.

Over the past 20 years, Wilkes has devoted much of his career to developing political contacts in Washington. He and his associates have spent at least $600,000 on political contributions and $1.1 million on lobbying beyond the gifts mentioned in the Cunningham plea agreement, as they cultivated such politicians as House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis.

And since 1996, he has received at least $95 million in government contracts for the small family of firms based in his $11 million headquarters in Poway, including ADCS Inc. and Group W.

<snip>

Born in San Diego County in 1954, Wilkes graduated from Hilltop High School in 1972, along with his football teammate and best friend Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo, currently third-in-command at the Central Intelligence Agency. Wilkes and Foggo were roommates at San Diego State University, were best men at each other's weddings and named their sons after each other.

Wilkes' career in political relations dates to the early 1980s, shortly after Foggo joined the CIA. Foggo was sent to Honduras to work with the Contra rebels who were trying to topple the Sandinista government of Nicaragua, according to sources within the CIA.

...more...

[UpInArms]

4. and here are some ties to DeLay

from the above linked article:

He also kept his donations flowing, targeting people with clout over the Pentagon budget: $43,000 to Jerry Lewis, who now heads the Appropriations Committee; $35,500 to Hunter, who heads the Armed Services Committee; and $30,000 to Tom DeLay, who flew on Wilkes' jet several times and has been a frequent golfing buddy.

Over the past three years, Wilkes' lobbying group in Washington – Group W Advisors – also paid about $630,000 in lobbying fees to Alexander Strategy Group, a firm headed by DeLay's former chief of staff Ed Buckham and staffed with former DeLay employees.

The firm has a well-publicized reputation in Washington as a conduit to DeLay's office.

"The Alexander lobbyists' sales pitch was, 'Either you hire me or DeLay is going to screw you,' " an anonymous source identified as a top Republican lobbyist told the Congressional Quarterly weekly last month. "It was not really a soft sell."

Besides donating money to DeLay's campaign, Wilkes also has given money to a political action committee that DeLay helped organize: Texans for a Republican Majority. The group is under investigation for allegedly breaking Texas law to divert corporate contributions into its drive to redraw the state's election districts.

and reading further, you will find links to Hastert