Finally, we're getting more of a glimpse into the netherworld occupied by Thomas Kontogiannis, and it sure is murky.

Kontogiannis is the briber of Duke Cunningham who has pleaded guilty and will be a key witness in the upcoming trial of two other alleged Cunningham bribers, Brent Wilkes and Kontogiannis' own nephew, John Michael.

Kontogiannis' plea agreement and the legal proceedings surrounding it were originally kept secret, and he was not even fingerprinted at first, all of which, combined with his history of getting off pretty easy for serious felony convictions, gave rise to speculation about Kontogiannis' ties to U.S. intelligence.

The judge in the case has now unsealed some of the records of the legal proceedings, and sure enough, Kontogiannis says bribing Cunningham was basically just the cost of doing business: "My interest is (the) United States, basically. And (Cunningham) was in a position that I could reach and tell (the government) information that I was gathering from all over the world.”

It's hard to tell whether Kontogiannis fancies himself a real-life Jack Bauer, or if he just pulled the wool over the eyes of his presumed handlers. Spencer has the details.