I wrote back in May about Duncan Hunter Jr. benefiting from Duncan Hunter Sr.'s corrupt contributors in the CA-52 Congressional race. Looks like this narrative is finally expanding beyond San Diego via this article in the Washington Times.
Duncan Hunter Jr. is attempting to fill the seat vacated by his father, the earmark-addicted 28-year Rep Duncan Hunter Sr. Hunter Sr. is a close friend of Duke Cunningham, the disgraced lawmaker who is currently spending time in Federal Prison on corruption charges. Apparently, Hunter didn't learn the lesson from Cunningham's misfortunes and is using the connections he has established over the past 28 years to benefit his son:
Through June, the records show, Mr. Hunter received $17,750 from people identifying themselves as employees or executives of defense contractors who were beneficiaries of earmarks over the past two years. Among them:
- A $19 million award to L-3 Communications Corp. in San Diego, a major supplier of homeland defense products and services. The earmarked money was for the development and testing of a missile system. L-3 Communications is the sixth-largest defense company in the United States.
- A $1.5 million award to San Diego-based Trex Enterprises Corp., a high-tech defense contractor specializing in microwave sensing, high-resolution imaging, digital signal processing, applied optics and materials. The earmarked money was to develop a device to help helicopter pilots navigate with limited visibility.
- Millions of dollars in earmarks for Dupont Aerospace in the San Diego area for the development of the DP-2 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to transport special operations forces. More than $60 million has been appropriated for the aircraft, which has been rejected by the Navy, Army and Air Force.
Apparently, lobbyists and earmarks are all good in the Hunter household:
In contrast to promises by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona to hold members of Congress accountable for earmarks and to "veto every pork-barrel earmark spending bill that comes across my desk," Mr. Hunter and his son embrace the practice - particularly for making military budgets.
The Hunters argue that the Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to "raise and support armies" and, as a result, members of the House and Senate are not bound solely by requests of the president or the Pentagon.
This is a deeply red district (44% R / 31% D), but we have a worthy candidate who isn't beholden to the military contractors of San Diego: Mike Lumpkin, a retired Navy SEAL commander who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If you've got some spare change, please Contribute to Lumpkin's Campaign to help remove the Hunter aristocracy from nearly 30 years of rule in San Diego.
Also, Digg it!