Wilkes, Ney Keep Spotlight on GOP Corruption
While debate rages over the New York Times' bizarre allegations regarding John McCain's relationship with a DC lobbyist, two other legendary Republican scandalmakers are keeping GOP corruption in the spotlight. On Tuesday, Duke Cunningham bagman Brent Wilkes was sentenced to 12 years in prison. And just yesterday, former Ohio Congressman Bob Ney was transferred to a halfway house to serve the remainder of a 30 month term for his role in the Jack Abramoff affair.
In March 2006, California's Duke Cunningham was sentenced to 8 years in prison for taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractor ADCS owned by Brent Wilkes. During Wilkes' subsequent trial, prosecutors "presented evidence that he showered Cunningham, a Republican congressman from Rancho Santa Fe, with expensive meals, gifts, fancy trips, cash bribes and prostitutes." In court papers, investigators claimed that the U.S. government lost up to $60 million in contracts awarded to ADCS.
While probation officials recommended a 60 year term and prosecutors 25 for Wilkes, Judge Larry Burns instead handed down a relatively lenient 12 year sentence. Still, when the judge urged Wilkes to "own up" and "come clean," the Bush "Pioneer" and prolific GOP fundraiser Wilkes remained defiant:
Wilkes thanked his family and friends for their support, and continued to deny guilt.
"I know they understand how helpless I've felt in the process because I couldn't speak out," he said. "Your Honor, I've always maintained my innocence and I continue to. "
In the run-up to the 2006 midterm elections, Ney emerged as one of the leading figures in the Abramoff scandal that helped undo the Republican majority in Congress. Ney resigned from his House seat on November 3, 2006 after pleading guilty just three weeks earlier to making false statements and conspiring to commit fraud.
In court papers, Ney was famously identified as "Representative #1." The wheels began to come off in early May 2006, when Abramoff partner and former Ney staffer Neal Volz pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for lavishing gifts and junkets on Ney, whom he referred to a "champion." Just weeks later, photos emerged of Ney with Abramoff, Ralph Reed and others heading off on the infamous golfing journey in Scotland. Then in June, yet more pictures came to light showing Ney with leaders of the Tigua tribe during an August 2002 meeting of Abramoff clients the Congressman claimed he didn't remember.
Hopefully, American voters will be better served by their memories this fall. The convictions of Cunningham, Wilkes and Ney should remind them why they threw the Republican bums out in the first place.
|
No Comments
Post a comment