Has Duke’s CunningScam been an open secret for a long, long time?
TPM Reader JS pointed my attention to this clip in The Hotline from late 1997 about Duke’s string pulling for Brent Wilkes’ ADCS, the company the Feds raided yesterday afternoon …
Copley’s Wilkie reports, the “affable” Rep. Randy “Duke”
Cunningham (R) “effuses” about a San Diego software company,
ADCS, “that recently won a lucrative” DoD contract to “convert
paper records to electronic files. … But to others involved in
the same project, (his) enthusiasm went beyond cost-saving zeal
and regional promotion.” Critics say he helped direct $3.2M worth
of DoD business to ADCS which is run by campaign contributor
Brent Wilkes, who gave Cunningham $2K in ’96 and whose business
partner, Randall Kerley, gave him $500. “How directly and
passionately did (Cunningham) pressure the Pentagon on behalf” of
ADCS? He “says he merely talked up” ADCS because it had the best
software, “despite Pentagon assessments that others had superior
products.” But “others, however, say” Cunningham “pressed” DoD
officials “to go with Wilkes’ company, using as a stick his
strong ties with military brass and his powerful position” on the
House Nat’l Securtiy Cmte in ’96. Pentagon officials are mum on
the issue. “For his part, Cunningham says that anyone, including
a reporter, who dares paint his actions as anything but
aboveboard “can go to hell” and he has said that he told DoD to
go with the best company. Wilkie concludes: “Regardless of who
had the better product, the issue may be whether (he) should have
used his Pentagon ties to promote any company run by a campaign
contributor” (12/12).
And how much <$NoAd$> second-rate product is the Pentagon using today because of Duke Cunningham?
And why isn’t there more of an outcry that this guy is still serving in Congress?
