The Grand Ole Docket
tracks trial dates, court appearances and sentencing hearings for
players in the current array of national political scandals. But not
just any crook can make it on the Docket - it's reserved for perps who
are unambiguously under investigation (just a news report is not
enough).
Be sure to check back periodically as the investigations continue.
Looking for your favorite Jack Abramoff scandal figure? Check out our special Grand Ole Docket: Abramoff Edition here.
Looking for a particular scandal? Click the quick links below.
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Jack Abramoff Scandal Pleaded Guilty Jack Abramoff Robert Coughlin Italia Federici J. Steven Griles Will Heaton Adam Kidan Bob Ney Tony Rudy Michael Scanlon Roger Stillwell Neil Volz Mark Zachares Convicted David Safavian Under Investigation John Doolittle Tom Feeney Named, Not Charged Ed Buckham |
Duke Cunningham Scandal Pleaded Guilty Richard Berglund Duke Cunningham Mitchell Wade Thomas Kontogiannis John Michael Robert Fromm Convicted Brent Wilkes Indicted Kyle "Dusty" Foggo |
Miscellaneous Pleaded Guilty Claude Allen Larry Craig Lester Crawford Shaun Hansen Vernon Jackson Chuck McGee Brent Pfeffer Allen Raymond Indicted Tom Delay William Jefferson Bernard Kerik Rick Renzi Convicted Scooter Libby James Tobin No Contest Brian Doyle Under Investigation Jerry Lewis Don Young |
Claude Allen- Arrested for Theft - Pleaded Guilty
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Allen was arrested March 9th, 2006 for a scam in which he 'returned' items he had never originally paid for. He is said to have refunded a total of $5,000 worth of merchandise (such as a home stereo system and a photo printer) over 25 visits in stores such as Target and Hecht's.
In 2001, President Bush assigned Allen to the number 2 position at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bush nominated Allen to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2003, but the Senate rejected him. In 2005 Bush appointed Allen as his domestic policy advisor. Allen resigned in February of 2006, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. Allen pleaded guilty on August 4th to one count of misdemeanor theft. He was ordered to pay $850 and given one month of probation. Permalink | Updated 8/16/06 |
Richard A. Berglund - Pleaded Guilty - Sentenced to 3 Months Probation
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On November 7th, 2006 Richard A. Berglund was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,500. Berglund, director of MZM Inc.’s Federal Supplier Assessment Center, pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act on July 21, 2006. In March of 2005, Berglund received $7,000 from Mitchell Wade, the MZM CEO and briber of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham
(R-CA). Using an additional $1,000 of their own money, Berglund and his
wife then wrote a $2,000 check each to the reelection campaign of
Representative Virgil Goode (R-VA), the congressman who was
instrumental in bringing MZM and the FSAC to his district. Berglund
then gave the remaining $4,000 to two MZM employees and instructed them
to write one $2,000 check each to Goode’s campaign. Wade then gave Goode the checks at a March 4, 2005
fundraiser for the congressman. Wade has said that he hoped to use the
contributions to convince Goode to secure federal funding for MZM, but
that Goode did not know the contributions were illegal. Permalink | Updated 5/04/07 |
Larry Craig - Pleaded Guilty- Sentenced to 1 Year Probation
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On August 8, 2007, Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct. According to the police report,
Craig was arrested on June 11th by a plain clothes officer after Craig
gave indications that he was interested in "sexual activity" in a
restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Craig was fined $500.00 and given one year of probation.
Permalink | Updated 8/28/07 |
Lester M. Crawford - Pleaded Guilty - Sentenced to 3 Years Probation
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Lester M. Crawford became commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in July 2005 and resigned in August 2006. On October 17th, he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts, making a false writing and conflict of interest. Crawford claimed on financial disclosure to have sold stocks in companies whose regulation he oversaw as an FDA official, when he in fact he'd retained ownership. His wife also owned stock in Wal-Mart, a company whose oversight he was in charge of, and he purchased shares in another FDA regulated company while an FDA official. On February 27, 2007, Crawford was sentenced to to three years of probabtion and was fined $90,000. Permalink | Updated 5/04/07 |
Duke Cunningham - Pleaded Guilty - Sentenced to 8 Years, 4 Months Incarceration
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Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) pleaded guilty November 28th, 2005 to two counts: Conspiracy to Commit Crimes against the United States (including Fraud and Bribery) and Tax Evasion. On March 3rd, he was sentenced to 8 years and 4 months incarceration out of a possible ten year sentence. It is the longest sentence ever meted out to a member of Congress. He was immediately taken into custody. He must also return $1.85 million, pay another $1.8 million in back taxes, and give up interest in his illegally funded Rancho Santa Fe home. For more on Cunningham, see TPMmuckraker's reference section and follow breaking Cunningham stories at TPMmuckraker. Permalink | Updated 7/10/06 |
Tom DeLay - Indicted - Trial Pending Appeals Decision
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Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) is being prosecuted in Texas by
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle for Money Laundering, a
felony. He was indicted September 28th, 2005 on a Criminal Conspiracy charge. On October 3rd, a Money Laundering charge was added. On December 5th, 2005 the judge threw out the Conspiracy charge against DeLay. The prosecutor, District Attorney Ronnie Earle, appealed. On April 19, 2006 the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld the ruling to dismiss the conspiracy charge against DeLay. The money laundering charge, a first-degree felony, carries a possible sentence of five years probation to life in prison. See TPMmuckraker's reference section for more on DeLay, and follow DeLay news at TPMmuckraker. Permalink | Updated 4/05/07 |
Brian J. Doyle - Pleaded No Contest - Sentenced to 5 Years Incarceration
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On November 17th, 2006 Brian Doyle was sentenced to five years in state
prison. Doyle, the deputy press secretary for the Department of
Homeland
Security, was arrested on April 4th, 2006 and pleaded no contest on September 19, 2006 to seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and sixteen counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor.
Doyle is alleged to have had sexually explicit conversations with an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl online. He is also alleged to have sent pornographic movie clips to the "girl." Permalink | Updated 9/19/06 |
Kyle "Dusty" Foggo - Indicted, Trial Pending.
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Kyle "Dusty" Foggo was indicted on February 13th, 2007
on eleven counts: one count of Conspiracy, seven counts of Aiding and
Abetting Money Laundering and three counts of Aiding and Abetting
Honest Services Wire Fraud. A superseding indictment filed on April 11th
broadened the scope of the investigation to other include other prid
quo quo exchanges between Wilkes and Foggo, thus increasing the count
total to 30. Foggo served as the executive director of the CIA, the agency’s third-highest post, from October 2004 until May 8, 2006. He is a long-time friend of Brent Wilkes, and is accused of accepting bribes from Wilkes. Foggo has pleaded not guilty and has filed a motion to have his trial moved from San Diego to Virginia. His request was finally granted on February 14, 2008. Permalink | Updated 03/06/08 |
Robert Fromm - Pleaded Guilty - Sentencing Scheduled for January 14th
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On October 9, 2007, Robert Fromm pleaded guilty to one count of violating his lifetime post-employment ban. Fromm, identified as "Official" in Mitchell Wade's
guilty plea, was a program manager at the Army's National Ground
Intelligence Center before he left to work at MZM, Inc., Mitchell
Wade's former defense company. Wade claims to have hired Fromm's son and then Fromm himself at MZM Inc in return for a positive evaluation of MZM, Department of Defense procurement information, and a recommendation that MZM receive contracts for a 2002 project. According to his plea agreement, Fromm contacted former colleagues in the government with the intent of influencing their evaluations. On January 14, 2008, Fromm was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,500. Permalink | Updated 10/09/07 |
Shaun Hansen - Indicted - Awaiting Trial Date
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Shaun Hansen, co-owner of Mylo Enterprises, was indicted March 8th, 2006
on charges of conspiring to commit and aiding the commission of
telephone harassment. After cooperating with investigators, he pleaded
guilty to both counts against him. Hansen has since reversed his plea,
and is currently awaiting trial.
Hansen's firm was hired by Allen Raymond's consulting firm, GOP Marketplace, to jam the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts on Election Day, November 5, 2002. Raymond was hired by Chuck McGee, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, based on a referral by James Tobin, New England Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee. Both McGee and Raymond pleaded guilty and testified against Tobin, who was convicted. For more information, see Hansen's Reference Section at TPMmuckraker. Permalink | Updated 10/09/07 |
Vernon Jackson - Pleaded Guilty - Sentenced to 7 Years, 3 Months Incarceration
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Vernon Jackson, the chief executive of iGate Inc., pleaded guilty on May 3rd, 2006 to bribing an unnamed congressman, whom documents identify as Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana. Jackson's plea
describes that over a four-year period, Jackson paid $360,000 to a
company controlled by Jefferson's wife. In return, Jefferson promoted
iGate in Africa. The company of Jefferson's wife also received a 24%
state in iGate and $80,000 to cover Jefferson's trips to Africa.
On September 8, 2007, a Judge sentenced Jackson to seven years and three months in a federal prison. Permalink | Updated 4/09/07 |
William Jefferson - Indicted - Trial Scheduled for February 25, 2008 has been postoned.
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On June 4, 2007, Rep. William Jefferson
(D-LA) was indicted on sixteen counts, including five count of honest
services wire fraud, four counts of solicitation of bribes, one count
of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering,
racketeering and obstruction of justice. He has pleaded not guilty and
was set to go to trial on A court filing showed that on July 30, 2005 Jefferson was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 from an FBI informant whose conversations with Jefferson also were recorded. The money was intended to be used to bribe a high-ranking Nigerian official and was later found in Jefferson's freezer after a search of his Washington home. On May 20, 2006 the FBI raided Jefferson's Congressional office as part of the corruption investigation, sparking off a massive debate between Congress and the Justice Department over Constitutional separation of powers. It was the first time the FBI had searched a Congressional office.
On August 3, 2007, the DC Appeals Court ruled
that the FBI overstepped its executive mandate by raiding Jefferson's
office. Because the indictment preceded a ruling from the Appeals
Court, the Justice Department did not rely on information obtained
through the search of Jefferson's office. Permalink | Updated 3/10/08 |
Bernard Kerik - Indicted - pre-trial conference scheduled for May 22, 2008
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Bernie Kerik was indicted on November 8, 2007 on sixteen counts for bribery, tax fraud, and false statements with a maximum sentence of 142 years and more than $5 million in fines.
Kerik was a close ally of Rudy Giuliani, who appointed him New York City corrections commissioner and then police commissioner. Giuliani also recommended Kerik to head the Department of Homeland Security. Kerik abruptly withdrew his nomination in December, 2004. The indictment includes, among other charges, lying to White House officials during the vetting process for various government positions, corruptly accepting $255,000 in renovations to his apartment from a company with mob ties that was seeking contracts with the city, failing to disclose wages paid to his nanny, failing to report $20,000 in consulting fees from a computer software company and $75,953 in royalties for writing his autobiography on his tax return, claiming tax deductions for $80,000 in phony charitable contributions, and falsely claiming a home office deduction for a home he had not moved into yet. Also, failing to report $236,269 in rent for his Upper East Side apartment, paid for by one of the city's biggest real estate developers, Steve Witkoff, with whom Kerik "anticipated doing business in the future." Kerik has pleaded not guilty. On January 23, 2008, the court disqualified Kerik's defense lawyer Kenneth Breen for having a conflict of interest in the case. On March 19, 2008, after repeated requests, Kerik replaced Breen with attorney Barry Berke. Kerik's next pre-trial conference is set for May 22, 2008. For a rundown of Kerik's indiscretions, check out TPM's Ultimate Kerik Scandal List!, and for breaking news on Kerik, check out TPMmuckraker. Permalink | Updated 03/25/08 |
Thomas Kontogiannis - Entered a Secret Guilty Plea in February 2007 - Awaits Sentencing and Remains Under Guard in NY
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On February 9, 2007 Kontogiannis pleaded guilty to making illegal payment involving former Rep. Duke Cunningham.
Thomas Kontogiannis, a New York developer bribed Duke Cunningham,
according to Cunningham's plea, where he appeared as "Coconspirator #3". Kontogiannis's sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. For more on Kontogiannis, see TPMmuckraker's Reference Section. Permalink | Updated 03/23/08 |
Jerry Lewis - Under Investigation
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Jerry Lewis is under investigation
for his relationship with former Representative-turned-lobbyist Bill
Lowery. At least one constituent has claimed that Lewis, then head of
the Appropriations committee, pushed him to hire Lowery’s firm. At the same time, Lowery’s firm made sizable donations to Lewis’ campaign. Nine clients have thus far been subpoenaed as part of the investigation. Meanwhile, Lewis has spent close to $1,000,000 in legal bills since the announcement of the investigation. Permalink | Updated 9/05/07 |
Scooter Libby - Convicted- Sentence Commuted
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Scooter Libby was indicted for Obstruction of Justice, Perjury, and Making False Statements on October 28th, 2005 as part of the Plamegate scandal. On March 6th, 2007 Scooter Libby was found guilty on four of five counts, making him the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-contra scandal. He was convicted of two counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of lying to the FBI. Libby was aquitted on one count of making false statements. On June 5, 2007, Libby was sentenced to thirty months imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. He is currently appealing the original ruling. On July 2nd, after a judge decided that Libby would remain in prison during the appeals process, President Bush commuted Libby's sentencing by removing the thirty months in prison. Permalink | Updated 8/08/07 |
Chuck McGee - Pleaded Guilty - Time Served
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Chuck McGee, the former Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, pleaded guilty July 28th, 2004 to one count: Conspiracy to engage in interstate telephone communications with the intent to annoy or harass. On March 11th, 2005, he was sentenced to 7 months in prison, which he began serving April 26th, 2005. He served his time and has been released. McGee conspired with James Tobin, New England Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee, and Allen Raymond, president of GOP Marketplace, to jam the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts on Election Day, November 5, 2002. Both McGee and Raymond pleaded guilty and testified against Tobin, who was convicted. More on McGee at TPMmuckraker's Reference Section. Permalink | Updated 2/17/06 |
Robert Menendez- Under Investigation
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Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has been publicly under investigation since September 8, 2006.
Menendez was initially investigated for collecting rent from an
organization, headed by a political supporter, for whom he secured
funds through a federal earmark. The New York Times reported on August 28, 2007 that the original investigation has waned. However, the local U.S. Attorney is now investigating whether Menendez unfairly steered money to the clients of former aide-turned-lobbyist Kay LiCausi. LiCausi, who has been rumored to be romantically involved with Menendez, was paid $280,000 to secure federal funds for a local hospital; the hospital has since complied with a subpoena of its records. Permalink | Updated 8/30/07 |
John T. Michael - - pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering and lying to a federal grand jury - sentencing scheduled for May 5, 2008.
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John T. Michael, owner of a mortgage company in New York, helped Thomas Kontogiannis bribe Duke Cunningham, according to Cunningham's plea, where he appeared as "Coconspirator #4". On February 13, 2007, he was indicted alongside Brent Wilkes on one count of aiding and abetting the obstruction of justice. On February 4, 2008 Michael pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering and lying to a federal grand jury. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for each charge and a $250,000 fine. Michael’s sentencing is scheduled for May 5, 2008. By changing his plea, Michael avoided facing additional charges of bribery and obstruction of justice. Permalink | Updated 03/10/08 |
Alan Mollohan- Under Investigation
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Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) has been under investigation by the FBI since April 2006.
Mollohan’s relationship with several local nonprofits has come into
question. Mollohan helped to form the nonprofits and received campaign
contributions from leaders of those organizations, all the while securing earmarks that went to the organizations. In addition, Mollohan entered
into lucrative real estate deals with individuals who had benefited
from his earmarks, a strategy which he himself said reflected "an
ethical blind spot." To date, a number of organizations have received subpoenas. Permalink | Updated 8/30/07 |
Brent M. Pfeffer - Pleaded Guilty - Sentenced to 8 Years Incarceration
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Brett Pfeffer, a former aide to Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), pleaded guilty January 10th, 2006
to two counts: Conspiracy to Commit Bribery of a Public Official and
Aiding and Abetting the Bribery of a Public Official. Rep. Jefferson is
the public official. On May 26th, 2006, Pheffer was sentenced to eight years in prison. Permalink | Updated 5/26/06 |
Allen Raymond - Pleaded Guilty - Time Served
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Allen Raymond, president of GOP Marketplace, pleaded guilty June 30th, 2004
to one count: Conspiracy to engage in interstate telephone
communications with the intent to annoy or harass. In 2006 he served
time from March 2nd through May 31st. Raymond conspired with James Tobin, New England Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee, and Chuck McGee, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, to jam the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts on Election Day, November 5, 2002. Both McGee and Raymond pleaded guilty and testified against Tobin, who was convicted. For more on Raymond, see TPMmuckraker's Reference Section. Permalink | Updated 4/09/07 |
Rick Renzi - Indicted - Trial Scheduled for October 14, 2008
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On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided the family business offices of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ). The FBI is currently pursuing two investigations against Renzi. The first investigation concerns land-swap legislation from 2005 that inappropriately advantaged a former business partner. Renzi announced legislation that would swap government property for land owned by James Sandlin. Sandlin was then able to sell his land for a sizeable profit. Renzi also failed to disclose a $200,000 check he received from a Sandlin in 2005. Renzi is also being investigated for signing legislation in November 2003 that benefited a military contractor who employs Renzi’s father. The firm, ManTech International Corp., now holds over $400 million in government contracts with options for an additional $1.1 billion in services. On February 22, 2008, Renzi was indicted in Arizona on 35 counts, including conspiracy, money laundering, and other charges. The main charges center on a federal land deal; separately, Renzi is charged with a conspiracy to "embezzle and misappropriate client premiums [from his insurance company] to fund his congressional campaign." Renzi has pleaded not guilty and a trial date has been set for October 14, 2008. Permalink | Updated 4/9/08 |
Ted Stevens- Under Investigation
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On July 31, 2007, Sen. Ted Stevens’ Alaska home was raided
by agents from the FBI and the IRS. Stevens is under investigation for
accepting as an illegal gift the renovation of his home by the oil
services company VECO. The concern is that VECO, which does not
normally handle residential contracting jobs, performed the renovation
in exchange for congressional support from Stevens. VECO itself is
under investigation for a bribery scandal involving Alaska state
lawmakers, including Stevens’ son Ben Stevens. Stevens is also reportedly being investigated by the FBI for $50 million of federal funds, procured through several earmarks, given to the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Center has since purchased land from a former aide of Stevens, Trevor McCabe, who is also involved in the investigation of Ben Stevens.
Permalink | Updated 8/01/07 |
James Tobin - Found Guilty on Two Counts - Pending Appeals Decision
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James Tobin, the former New England Regional Political Director for the Republian National Committee, was found guilty on December 15th, 2005 of two counts: Conspiracy to commit the commission of interstate telephone harassment and Aiding and abetting the commission of interstate telephone harassment. He was acquitted of a third count, Conspiracy against voters' rights. Tobin faced up to seven years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Tobin was due to enter prison June 23, 2006. However, shortly before he reported to prison a federal appeals court overturned the district court decision and granted Tobin's request for release pending appeal. On March 30, 2007 a US Court of Appeals reversed the judgment of conviction and sentence and remanded the case to the district court. In February 2008 Tobin appealed a U.S. District Court Judge's orders regarding the new trial. Tobin was acquitted on February 22, by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe. McAuliffe said he had been "constrained" by the earlier appeals court decision to deem Tobin was entitled to acquittal. Nearly a month later, Dept. of Justice lawyers filed a notice stating they intend to appeal to the decision. Tobin conspired with Chuck McGee, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, and Allen Raymond, president of GOP Marketplace, to jam the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts on Election Day, November 5, 2002. Both McGee and Raymond pleaded guilty and testified against Tobin . For more on Tobin, see TPMmuckraker's Reference Section. Permalink | Updated 3/30/08 |
Mitchell Wade - Pleaded Guilty - Status Conference Scheduled for March 17th
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Mitchell Wade, President of the defense contracting firm MZM, Inc., pleaded guilty on February 24th, 2006 to one count of conspiring both to bribe Congressman Randall "Duke" Cunningham
and to tax evasion; one count of Use of Interstate Facilities to
Promote Bribery; one count of conspiring to deprive the Defense
Department of the honest services of its employees; and one count of
election fraud. In addition to bribing Cunningham in exchange for help procuring defense contracts, Wade also provided "illegal benefits to Defense Department officials," and attempted "to curry favor with two other members of Congress by making illegal campaign contributions." Wade faces up to 11 years and 3 months incarceration. Wade's orignal status conference was scheduled for August 21, 2006. It has been repeatedly postponed due to his ongoing cooperation with federal prosectors' investigations. His conference was moved to March 17, 2008, then April 28, 2008. U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina will sentence Wade on December 15, 2008. For more on Wade, see TPMmuckraker's Reference Section, and go to TPMmuckraker for news about Wade's involvement in the Cunningham scandal. Permalink | Updated 4/28/2008 |
Brent Wilkes - Convicted - Sentenced to 12 Years
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On November 5, 2007, Brent Wilkes was found guilty
of thirteen counts, including bribing a public official, money
laundering and honest services wire fraud. Wilkes was the owner of the
defense contracting firm ACDS, Inc. On February 13, 2007, he
was indicted of twenty-five counts concerning his relationship with
former Congressman Duke Cunningham. He gave Cunningham more than
$600,000 in illegal cash and gifts in exchange for Cunningham’s help
with securing more than $80 million in Pentagon contracts. Wilkes also allegedly secured several contracts through his relationship with lifelong friend and former Executive Director of the CIA Dusty Foggo. In addition to payments of illegal cash and favors to Foggo, Wilkes had promised a position at his company upon leaving the CIA. Both Wilkes and Foggo were indicted on 11 counts of honest services wire fraud and money laundering on February 13, 2007. A superseding indictment filed on April 11th increased the count total to 30. Wilkes was sentenced on February 19, 2008 to 12 years in prison. For more on Wilkes, see TPMmuckraker's Reference Section and follow breaking news at TPMmuckraker. Permalink | Updated 03/25/08 |
Don Young - Under Investigation
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The FBI is currently scrutinizing
whether Rep. Young (R-AK) ever accepted bribes from Bill Allen, former
CEO of Alaska oil services VECO Corp, in exchange for political favors.
In addition, Young is ensnared in a host of other scandals that could produce further scrutiny.
For more on Young go to TPMmuckraker for news about his various scandals. Permalink | Updated 9/05/2007 |