Lawyers-Cunningham is “Penniless”: Kerry on Cunningham’s $40,000 Pension [View All]

Lawyers Claim Cunningham is “Penniless”: John Kerry on Duke Cunningham’s $40,000-a-Year Prison Sentence Perk
March 3rd, 2006 @ 1:56 pm

Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham was due in court today for his sentencing on the fraud charges he pled quilty to on November 28, 2005.

Cunningham’s attorneys asked for six years for the former Navy “Top Gun” flight instructor and Vietnam War flying ace.

“His own misconduct has already left him penniless, homeless, estranged from those he loves and disgraced in the eyes of his countrymen,” they wrote.

Penniless? Not quite, as John Kerry points out — under current law, Cunningham is still entitled to a $40,000 a year pension. Kerry has proposed legislation to change that law. Below is a statement, as received by The Democratic Daily, from John Kerry on former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham’s sentencing today. Kerry has authored two ethics reform measures in the Senate, one of which would take away Cunningham’s Congressional pension:

“Even after Duke Cunningham’s prison sentencing today, he’ll still be getting a perk most Americans only dream of – a $40,000 a year pension, courtesy of taxpayers. It is wrong that hardworking taxpayers are funding the retirement of convicted criminals. We need to pass legislation to rewrite these rules that fly in the face of common sense. The question is whether this Congress will right this wrong, or whether we’ll have to wait for change in November.”

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