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Gov't Wants 10 Year Sentence for Cunningham

By TChris, Section
Posted on Sun Feb 19, 2006 at 06:45:08 PM EST
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by TChris

The government wants a ten year sentence for former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (Talkleft background collected here). This is why:

Court documents filed late on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego, contain previously undisclosed details of the Republican congressman's crimes, including taking $2.4 million in bribes.

"For the better part of a decade, Cunningham, in effect, erected a 'for sale' sign upon our nation's capital," U.S. Attorney Carol Lam wrote in her sentencing motion.

The sentencing papers contain a photocopy of a "bribe menu" on Cunningham's official stationery in which he listed what a military contractor needed to pay to obtain various levels of defense appropriations.

In exchange for $16 million in government contracts, Cunningham asked for title to a $140,000 boat. ...

The bribes Cunningham demanded ran from meals, hotels and travel to hunting knives and a lasershot simulator system. One bribe paid Cunningham's capital gains taxes on a prior bribe, the filing said. Checks were made payable to Top Gun Enterprises Inc., Cunningham's military memorabilia business.

He also received luxury vehicles, yachts, homes, an antique Louis Philippe commode, Persian rugs and large cash transfers.

Ten years is a long sentence, but it's the kind of time routinely imposed for selling relatively small quantities of crack. Cunningham's lawyers are asking for a six year sentence, arguing that a longer sentence might result in the 64 year old Cunningham dying in prison.

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