Mitchell Wade, the contractor for MZM inc. implicated in the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal, has been ordered by the FEC to pay a $1,000,000 fine for funneling tens of thousands in illegal campaign donations to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) and former Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL).

Pity the process server: thirteen House members were subpoenaed today in connection with the trial of defense contractor Brent Wilkes (the same gentleman whose bribes helped put former Rep. Duke Cunningham behind bars). Several names on the list of thirteen, who are teaming up to fight the subpoena, will be familiar to regular readers of this page.

Congressional earmarks -- those add-ons to spending bills directed by individual Members -- have been the object of scrutiny as of late, and no wonder: Congress made over $5 billion worth in 2005 alone. Do you believe Duke Cunningham was the only one who used earmarks for personal gain?

Following the FBI search of his home, signaling the next level in the investigation of both him and his wife for their ties to Jack Abramoff, Rep. John Doolittle has stepped down from his seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. It was from this seat, incidentally, that Doolittle helped direct millions earmarks towards defense contractor Brent Wilkes (central figure in the Duke Cunningham bribery investigation).

Brent Wilkes, the defense contractor implicated in the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal and possibly in the developing investigation of Rep. Jerry Lewis, talks to the New York Times about his lucrative career trading campaign cash for earmarks - or what he calls "transactional lobbying."

Conressional earmarking is a $30 billion a year business and while lawmakers claim the spending goes to benefit their districts, it also has a funny way of benefitting major campaign donors. The Christian Science Monitor looks at the growing controversy around it.