United States v. Randy "Duke" Cunningham

Outcome: Pled Guilty to Corruption Charges - 8 yrs 4 months

Description: Randy "Duke" Cunningham pled guilty on November 28, 2005, to a two-count Information. In pleading guilty, Mr. Cunningham, who represented the 50th Congressional District in San Diego for seven terms, admitted that he received at least $2.4 million in bribes. These bribes were paid to Cunningham by several coconspirators through a variety of methods, including checks totaling over $1 million, cash, rugs, antiques, furniture, yacht club fees, boat repairs, moving costs, and vacation expenses. The bribery, fraud, and tax evasion conspiracy included the purchase of Cunningham’s home in Del Mar, California, at an artificially inflated price by a defense contractor; the subsequent payoff of the mortgage on Cunningham’s new, multi-million dollar home in Rancho Santa Fe by another defense contractor; a $200,000 down payment by a third coconspirator to enable Cunningham to purchase a condominium in Arlington, Virginia; the payment of the capital gains tax by the purchaser of Cunningham’s Del Mar home; the purchase and maintenance by a defense contractor of a yacht (the “Duke-Stir”) and a Rolls Royce for Cunningham; as well as payments by a defense contractor for a graduation party for Cunningham’s daughter, jewelry, home furnishings, and travel and hotel expenses. Cunningham failed to disclose any of the benefits on his Financial Disclosure Statements to the U.S. House of Representatives or on his federal tax return. Cunningham further admitted that in return for these bribes he used his public office and took other official action to influence the appropriations of funds and the execution of government contracts in ways that would benefit two of the coconspirators, who were the majority owners of defense contracting companies.