On Wednesday, January 4, 2006, Susan Schmidt of the Washington wrote, "Jack Abramoff, the once-powerful lobbyist at the center of a wide-ranging public corruption investigation, pleaded guilty yesterday to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in a deal that requires him to provide evidence about members of Congress."

Now we see the beginning of the end for some congressional crooks. The Bush-Cheney campaign used Cunningham as a designated hit man in 2004. He went on national TV to attack Democrat John Kerry -- "We do not need a 'Jane Fonda' as commander in chief" -- and as someone who "would depreciate our military and our intelligence services in a time of war."



This was no aberration. In 1992, Cunningham branded Democratic nominee Bill Clinton a "traitor" for his anti-Vietnam War activities and said of all Vietnam War protesters, "I would have no hesitation about lining them up and shooting them."

Wade, who bought Congressman Cunningham's house, pleads guilty to conspiracy

By Finlay Lewis

* One-time wunderkind could get 11-year term
* Cunningham lawyers ask for mercy

WASHINGTON – Defense contractor Mitchell Wade pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to conspiring to funnel more than $1 million in bribes to former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and making illegal campaign contributions to two other members of Congress.

While not named in the plea agreement, the two representatives are identifiable through campaign finance records as Republican Reps. Virgil Goode of Virginia and Katherine Harris of Florida. Neither has been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Wade, the founder and former president of MZM Inc., also admitted to conspiring with an official of the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville, Va., to defraud the Defense Department.


Mitchell Wade, 46, is facing up to 11 years in prison.

GUILTY PLEAS

One count of conspiracy to commit bribery

One count of using interstate facilities to promote bribery

One count of conspiring to deprive the Defense Department of the honest services of its employees

One count of election fraud
As part of the scheme, Wade hired the official's son in February 2002. He did so under an arrangement in which MZM was reimbursed for the son's employment from Pentagon funds committed to a document-scanning program, according to a prosecution document.

Later, Wade also hired the official, identified as William S. Rich Jr.

Rich “left work on a Friday and the next Tuesday he was back in the NGIC building as an MZM employee,” recalled a former government employee at the center.

Wade, dressed in a gray suit, choked up briefly yesterday as he read a statement in court expressing remorse and acknowledging his cooperation with federal investigators.

“I feel deep sorrow for the harm I've caused to my family, friends and former colleagues,” Wade, 46, told U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina.

Wade's purchase of Cunningham's Del Mar-area house figured prominently in the former congressman's own guilty plea in the fall. Wade bought Cunningham's house for $1.675 million in November 2003 and then sold it eight months later at a $700,000 loss.

The businessman began providing information to the government shortly after the tainted sale of Cunningham's house was disclosed in a Copley News Service story published June 12 in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Wade is one of four co-conspirators named in the plea agreement and sentencing memorandum for Cunningham. The other co-conspirators are Brent Wilkes, owner of Poway-based ADCS Inc.; Thomas Kontogiannis, a Long Island, N.Y., developer; and John Michael, the nephew of Kontogiannis' wife and president of a Long Island mortgage company.

Wade pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and single counts of election fraud and using interstate facilities to promote bribery. He faces a prison sentence of up to 11 years. No sentencing date was set.

Among the myriad actions designed to curry favor with Cunningham, the prosecution documents describe Wade's purchase of the Del Mar-area home at an inflated price, a payment of $13,500 to Cunningham for the purchase of a Rolls-Royce, a $140,000 payment for a yacht – renamed the Duke-Stir – that was made available to the congressman “for his use and enjoyment,” and a $7,200 payment to an antique store for two 19th-century commodes, a type of chest of drawers.

In the second conspiracy count, prosecutors said Wade plotted with Rich and “other (Defense Department) employees” to carry out wire fraud to fatten MZM's coffers.

here's the house a royal Republican Duke recieved for selling his votes:

here's the rest of the story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/03/AR2006010300474.html

and he'd never have been caught had he not been getting too greedy. You see, you have to wait for them to lavish gifts upon you. If you think you're in the position to set conditions and make demands, they get nervous and take you down.

He just didn't know how the game was really played.

:bounce: I'm betting he gets the full 10 years.

I'd like to hear he gave up a few other partners in crime... Who knows, one of these chicken-hawks might give up King Chicken Little as he screams "THE SKY IS FALLING!"

this crook bashing the good works and deeds of Senator Kerry in 2004. This POS stroked the uneasiness and fears of the American public while demeaning and lying about Kerry. I wonder what he received for this service?

Look for updates here:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/

?

Pacific Time.

The guy from Copley News who actually kept this story going out of San Diego filled in a lot of particulars! Even the fact that while Cunningham kept saying he had NEVER broken the law, not even ever smoking pot... when finally the jig was up he had to come clean!

He also said that the "crying" was a ploy Cunningham had used before to garner sympathy! Went on to say that there were many in City Government who are "dirty" too!

And of course for me, I LOVED the fact the Cruella herself seems to be caught in this net! While I'm not that crazy about Bill Nelson, I guess we're STUCK WITH HIM!!

Katherine Harris is sooooooo the "dirty" scum bag too! Bought & paid for! I'm hoping they are going to get MORE on Jebby also!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2490166 If you are in FL, do you think Jeb will Diebold his way into the White House?

loosely because he is actually more intelligent and sly than his Idiot brother!

He has had a few mini-scandals, but as with The Idiot slides through them. The Schiavo thing wasn't a plus for him. Also, before he can run for the WH, he will have to divorce his wife. If I'm not mistaken she STILL doesn't live in the Governor's Mansion and never has. She also got caught smuggling something into Florida some time back. They also have a daughter who was into a lot of drug trouble. That's pretty far in the past, but she did get some preferential treatment, of course! But they're a sneaky bunch and EVERYONE seems to have forgotten about Neil too!

Cruella is MY representative and I'm sure SHE Diebolded her way into re-election, even with us taking a stand for paper ballots we were denied! We were so sure she was a goner, I recall standing on corners with signs for Kerry/Edwards and against her and we had many many people giving us the thumbs up!

But alas...here she is and I can't stand it!

Mrs. Bowers was shocked that Mrs. Betty Bowers Christian Crack Whore Ministry, LLC (Cayman Islands) has no franchise in the lucrative "redneck region" of Florida. "The fact that one of the Bushes was caught trying to get high would, of course, never raise an eyebrow amongst those of us who know them," said Mrs. Bowers. "But the realization that I had missed a marketing opportunity to draw tithes from a family teeming with more junkies than the set of Friends, was very disturbing to a Christian businesswoman such as myself!"

Mrs. Bowers immediately picked up the phone and called Columba Bush. "I knew Columba because she operates a duty-free store out of the back of her Mercedes. Katherine Harris had gotten a divine Louis Seize 18 karat gold eye shadow mortar and pestle kit from Columba and I'd picked up the most lovely Cartier watches from her for a song two years ago. Naturally, Mrs. Bush was very perturbed that the media were carrying stories about her daughter running out to Wal-Mart to take the edge off her crank-high with a bucket of Xanax.

"One look at Jeb's daughter Noelle's mug shot and it is no wonder why she was looking for a fistful of Xanax," remarked Mrs. Bowers. "They are a dear, family in Christ and I would rather that they were all slung into a shallow grave than say an unkind word about them, but I must say something out of Christian concern: Verily I say onto thee, she looks like a crack whore!"

All I know is, I'm Mud In Your Eye... still have bumpers stickers on may car, quite a few! Some are fading so I just ordered more!

My car has been remarked upon many times... I've had people come up to me in grocery stores when they see me get in it saying... Oh, I've seen this car before and wondered who it belonged to. I also get some weird looks, but I just stare back with my "I Just Dare You Look!" One actually say "The I Upset You, The More Fun It Is For Me".

Thanks again!

Plenty of those spooky sheeplies practicing Cash-tianity have messed-up kids. Since they find it so easy to "forgive" every sin except a little head, they might actually identify with the Royal Cousins and rehabilitate them into First Children.

I need some cool stickers on my car too but in Bama frustrated inbreed red-necks are cowardly enough to attack a defenseless car wearing serious anti-Rethug stickers.

Still, I envision one saying FOUR MORE YEARS OF REPUBLICANS?

I have a friend from here in Florida who does too! And he puts them to music.

I'm too busy answering mail, and blogging I haven't even looked into how to do BOLD type!

This one is superb! I think I had a dream like this recently!

ALABAMA??? We're BOTH in bad shape!

ACT NOW! THREE FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! we'll trade two senators and one governor for ANY Governor! offer not valid in Florida for easy to use bold type, check the "HTML lookup table" lasted above in "message options."

Posting pics is easy too, once you get the hang of it and there's tons of good stuff in Google Images, featuring anti-bush iconography.

People are going to think we're a bit whacked today! But you've made my day!

I was just watching Keith, and now waiting for Bill Maher. Gotta clean up my kitchen now, dishes you know?? I'm one of those people who cooks almost every night... brought up in a family of 6 girls, we got the message!

I'm the Odd-Ball though!

....it is going to reach every inch of the Republican Party, including the White House! Give these guys power, and they start acting like the George W. in a whore house with someone elses credit card!!!

So many to screw and so little time!!

BOHICA! Bend Over Here It Comes Again!

.........so TRUE!! LOL