Public Campaign Action Fund - duke cunningham

Pay Up

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:06:23 -0500

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).

Wilkes' 13

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:00:22 -0500

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.

Dark Marks?

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:06:34 -0500

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?

Doolittle Steps Down from Appropriations

Katie Schlieper — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:19:03 -0500

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).

From the Gift Horse's Mouth

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:11:41 -0500

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."

The Earmark "Virus"

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:39:11 -0500

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.

Bribery: A Growth Industry

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:05:30 -0500

Vanity Fair profiles the sordid tale of ex-congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham and the defense contractors, Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, who made a business out of bribing him. A lot of the story's been told before, but this piece ties it all together to chilling effect.

When First We Travel to Deceive

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:22:18 -0500

TPMmuckraker does some digging into the congressional corporate-funded travel report released yesterday, making connections between staffers for Rep. Jerry Lewis and former Rep. Duke Cunningham and the company funding the most travel.

Put it to a Vote

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 09:12:43 -0500

Today could mark the beginning of an electoral referendum on reform - three contests heading to the polls today could signal whether corruption will play a major role in this year's elections.

"Queen of Earmarks" Probed in Lewis Investigation

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:45:31 -0500

News broke awhile back about the FBI's investigation into ties between Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and a lobbying firm with ties to the same defense contractor involved in the Duke Cunningham scandal. Now more key players, including ex-Lewis staffers, are coming to light.