Common Cause today called for Randy "Duke" Cunningham to step down from his seats on the Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in light of published reports detailing the alleged connection between Cunningham's support for a multi-million dollar defense contract to Mitchell Wade, president of MZM Inc., and Wade's purchase of Cunningham's home at a huge personal profit for the congressman.
We are also launching an online petition drive demanding Congressman Cunningham to give up his seats on the Congressional Committees critical to our national security. Click here to sign our petition or you can click on the image below. Sign it and pass it on.
Federal prosecutors recently filed court papers as part of a grand jury investigation into the relationship between Cunningham and Wade, which charge that Cunningham "demanded and received" a bribe from Wade in the form of the overpayment for Cunningham's house described above. "Cunningham demanded and received this money in return for being influenced in the performance of his official acts as a public official," says the court filing.
Around the time of the sale of the house, Cunningham was advocating for the awarding of defense contracts to Wade's company, MZM, which was "seeking to earn substantial income from contracts with the United States Government."
Given the sensitivity and importance of the awarding of defense contracts, especially during a time of war, it is not unreasonable to hold members of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense to a higher standard of ethical conduct and to act decisively when credible allegations of the misuse of a committee member's influence emerge.
Common Cause also calls on the House Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation to determine whether Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) has violated the House ethics rules by receiving personal compensation from a defense contractor in return for his influence in Congress.
These reported facts clearly warrant investigation by the Ethics Committee. If true, these activities constitute a serious breach of House ethics rules. Clause 3 of House Rule XXIII states:
A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not receive compensation and may not permit compensation to accrue to his beneficial interest from any source, the receipt of which would occur by virtue of influence improperly exerted from his position in the Congress.
Click here to see the letters Common Cause sent to members of Congress today, and sign our petition demanding that he steps down from his committee seats. So sign the petition and please pass it on.
FACT SHEET: Representative "Duke" Cunningham's Kickback Controversy
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