Rep. Duke Cunningham Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Bribery Scheme

Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. The decorated Vietnam War fighter ace admitted to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors in exchange for using his position on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to steer tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts to his co-conspirators. The bribes included personal checks, a 42-foot yacht named the “Duke-Stir,” payments toward a Rolls Royce, antique furniture including 19th-century commodes and Persian rugs, trips, and a graduation party for his daughter.

Cunningham had a literal “bribe menu” that detailed how much contractors needed to pay for specific dollar amounts in government contracts. Defense contractor Mitchell Wade of MZM Inc. alone paid over $1 million in bribes over four years in exchange for more than $150 million in government contracts. U.S. Attorney Carol Lam called it “a crime of unprecedented magnitude and extraordinary audacity.” Cunningham resigned from Congress immediately after his guilty plea.

He was later sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in prison, the longest term ever handed down for a member or former member of Congress in a federal corruption case at that time. He was also ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution. The scandal exposed the depth of corruption in defense contracting and helped prompt reforms to the congressional earmark process. President Trump pardoned Cunningham in January 2021, rewarding one of the most brazenly corrupt members of Congress in modern history.