So I've spent the past week doing a ton of research on (for lack of a shorter name) Wilkesgate, in-between taking care of my 3 week old and lifes various other tasks. I honestly havent had time to compile a lot of stuff, but theres are lots of interesting things popping up all over the place. Now I just want to share various facts that tie things together a bit more.
No clue what I'm talking about? Well I beg, implore, grovel at your knees and ask you kindly to give some or all of these a good reading:
The Blogs and comments @ Cannonfire
Cunningham, Wilkes and the Poway Mafia.
The. Biggest. Scandal. Ever!
This in from the AP yesterday.
"District Attorney Ronnie Earle issued subpoenas late Monday afternoon for California businessmen Brent Wilkes and Max Gelwix, records of Perfect Wave Technologies LLC, Wilkes Corp. and ADCS Inc. in connection with a contribution to a fundraising committee at the center of the investigation that led to DeLay's indictment on money laundering charges.
Perfect Wave contributed $15,000 in September 20, 2002 to Texans for a Republican Majority, a fundraising committee founded by DeLay, R-Texas.
Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned in late November after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to companies."
I know after the original Cannonfire article, and Sherlock's diary, letters to everyone from Conyers to Earle where written asking for an investigation, quoting the information from the above blogs. Seems maybe it worked? From the AP article:
"The subpoenas also seek correspondence and internal accounting records."
Now while the above may infact have something to do with DeLay, I'm sure he would have gone over those original contributions long before going to a grand jury seeking indictments. To me this has the feel of something else. Is Earle looking for more?
Tidbits to spark your interest:
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"Shortly after House Speaker Dennis Hastert selected Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to serve on the House intelligence committee in 2001, the Rancho Santa Fe Republican sent a letter to Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes:
"I have long benefited from your expertise on major defense issues before Congress, and have appreciated the opportunity to work with you on key service funding priorities. With my new assignment, I see even greater opportunities to work together in support of our national security and intelligence communities," -SignOnSanDiego
Cunningham wrote this on congressional stationery.
-DeLay's campaign and political action committees were among the top beneficiaries of Wilkes's extensive donations over the last decade. A report released this month by the Center for Responsive Politics found that entities associated with DeLay received $41,000 in contributions from the Wilkes Corporation PAC and from employees of Wilkes's companies.
Another of Wilkes's companies, Group W Advisors, paid over $600,000 in lobbying fees to Alexander Strategies, a consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife, Christine, and several former DeLay staff members, according to the Associated Press and reports in the San Diego Union-Tribune. -www.nytimes.com
$600,000??!?!@! Not bad for a company with an income of less than $10,000.
-Contributions by Wilkes, his wife and companies he controlled to DeLay's political committees equalled about $70,000 over the past few years.
Wilkes has been a generous donor to many lawmakers in both parties during the past 20 years, especially Republicans in leadership positions.
In addition, he raised at least $100,000 for President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, according to records maintained by the nonpartisan watchdog group PoliticalMoneyLine.
The donations involving DeLay were mostly to his national committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.
Wilkes and his wife donated $25,000 to ARMPAC between 2002 and 2004. Another Wilkes company, ADCS Inc., contributed $20,000 to ARMPAC in 2002."-The Houston Chronicle
"A businessman tied to the bribery scandal involving former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham donated more than $70,000 to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign committees and received two gubernatorial appointments."-LA Times
-"Since receiving its first federal contract in 2002, Washington-based MZM has collected more than $163 million in government contracts. ADCS has received at least $80 million in contracts since 1996.
...Facing questions about his interventions on behalf of ADCS in 1997, Cunningham said at the time he had merely talked up the company he believed had the best software. Anyone saying otherwise, he added, "can go to hell." Said the congressman, "I'm on the side of the angels here." -www.SignsonSandiego.com
But anyways, I'm just hoping to keep some interest on the issue here at DKOS, and hope to finish up my research for a real diary when time permits. Im sure a ton of people will beat me to it however. All you fellow google-hounds feel free to contribute!