In a not so surprising event, GOP Congressman, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, resigned from Congress yesterday as he pleaded guilty to taking bribes from defense contractors. I guess you can mark this one up on the growing list of Republican "culture of corruption." It can be argued the the Democrats deserved to lose the congress in 1994. If that is the case, then the Republicans deserve to lose it in 2006.
Congressman Admits Taking Bribes, Resigns
By Charles R. Babcock and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Page A01
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) resigned from Congress yesterday after tearfully confessing to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes, including a Rolls-Royce, a yacht and a 19th-century Louis-Philippe commode.
The decorated Vietnam War-era fighter pilot, 63, entered his guilty plea at a federal courthouse in San Diego and then choked up as he proclaimed: "In my life, I have known great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame."
His plea marks the second conviction in a week to emerge from a wave of federal investigations into the cozy -- and potentially illegal -- relationships between leading members of Congress and lobbyists and contractors working to curry legislative favors. In an unrelated investigation, former public relations executive Michael Scanlon, an associate of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty Nov. 21 to conspiring to bribe a congressman and other public officials. Scanlon agreed to pay back more than $19 million he fraudulently charged Indian tribes.
(Full Story)
Update: Just to prove that I am an equal opportunity basher of corruption in congress (regardless of party affiliation) I am adding a story about Sen. Byron Dorgan, who is being tied into the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal. Good riddance to all of them.
Abramoff Tied to Dorgan Donation, Tribe Says
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