Duke's Loot ---pix->>>

[Stephanie]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051206/480/cash10312062221







Appraiser Dave McPheeters, left, measures a piece of furniture belonging
to Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, R-Calif., after Cunningham forfeited the
items as part of a plea bargain with investigators on Tuesday, Dec. 6,
2005, at a wherehouse in Poway, Calif. Cunningham resigned last week after
pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes to steer business to
defense contractors. As of Friday his congressional office was under the control of the Clerk of the House. (AP Photo/Sandy Huffaker)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051206/480/cash10212062222



A 42-foot yacht, named Duke-Stir, is shown docked at the Capital Yacht
Club in this July 2, 2005 file photo in Washington. When in Washington,
Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham lived rent-free on this vessel, belonging to
defense contractor Mitchell Wade, paying only dock fees and maintenance.
Cunningham resigned Monday, Nov. 28, 2005, after pleading guilty to taking
$2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors and others that went to
pay for a condo in Virginia, a Rolls Royce and other luxury items. (AP Photo/Haraz Ghanbari, File)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051129/480/la10311290017





Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, R-Calif., cries while reading a statement
outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, in this Nov. 28, 2005 file
photo, after pleading guilty to bribery.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051204/480/la10112041829

Ex-congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribes put on display
By SETH HETTENA, Associated Press Writer
(12-06) 16:44 PST Poway, Calif. (AP) --

Former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribes took up a small corner of a dimly-lit industrial warehouse.

For Cunningham, who formally resigned in disgrace Tuesday, bribes came as French antique dressers with burled walnut fronts and marble tops. Huge hand-woven Persian carpets covered the concrete floor, including one that stretched more than 30 feet and had a $5,500 price tag still attached. A sleigh-style bed lay in pieces.

Federal agents gave local reporters a peek Tuesday at the 40 or so pieces of furniture that were among $2.4 million in bribes that the ex-Vietnam fighter pilot ace admitted receiving from defense contractors and others in exchange for government business and other favors.

***

In a warehouse in the San Diego suburb of Poway, camera shutters clicked as appraiser Dave McPheeters peered into dresser drawers, jotted notes on a yellow legal pad and measured the size of Cunningham's carpets.

"Very nice hand-selected pieces," McPheeters remarked. "The condition is good."

Much of it was bought for Cunningham by defense contractor Mitchell Wade. According to Cunningham's plea agreement, Wade spent more than $90,000 to satisfy the swaggering former "Top Gun" flight instructor's taste in antique armoires, nightstands, washstands, silver-plated candelabras and custom oak and leaded glass doors.

Cunningham also sold his home in the seaside community of Del Mar to Wade in 2003 for a price inflated by about $700,000. He used the proceeds to move into a $2.55 million, seven-bath mansion in the exclusive San Diego County community of Rancho Santa Fe. Copley News Service's disclosure of the home sale triggered the federal investigation that led to Cunningham's downfall.

[im10ashus]

1. Now we know why he was crying.

They took away his lifestyle of the rich and famous.

[MADem]

2. His "worldly POSSESSIONS" featured prominently in his tearful speech

Fucker--they were never his, that shit was LOOT! Hope he enjoys his thin mattress and shared steel crapper, the lousy bum.

[im10ashus]

4. Exactly. n/t

[Stephanie]

5. Why ruin your life over crap like that?

I don't get it. What's the great allure in "antique armoires, nightstands, washstands, silver-plated candelabras and custom oak and leaded glass doors." Why did he even WANT that stuff?

[MADem]

10. Because he is NOT a nice guy--he is a mean, selfish, bastard who

delighted in cutting people down to make himself look big. He was an asshole on active duty, and he stayed an asshole after he retired. Let me put it this way--that guy only made it to 0-5, and he got out because he failed to select for higher rank. And he was a Nam ACE. A POSTER BOY, had he only had the right personality--he had a combat record that, had he only performed adequately (not stellarly, adequately) in his post-Vietnam career, could have made him a Rear Admiral. The only reason he made it as far as he did was because of the five shootdowns, not because he was a very good officer, and he sure as hell was not a nice human being.

[DURHAM D]

12. Current Newsweek has a good article about Duke.

It talks about his failure to grow up post service - you might enjoy it if you have not read it already.

[MADem]

14. Thank you

I've met the guy, and I came away less than impressed.

And on edit, I post the link to that article, which is WELL worth a read:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10313613/site/newsweek/

[Hubert Flottz]

11. And....He Wants His Mommy!

Cry-Baby GOPers are normal GOPers!

[leftchick]

3. holy crap! I would love to know what the candelabra is worth!

I have one just like it inherited from my Grandma sitting in a closet. It is way too gaudy for my taste. Apparently not for Duke. :eyes:

[Stephanie]

6. search ebay

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Hey Duke

boo fuckin hoo

Save those tears for prison.

[jeanarrett]

8. The boat was called the "Duke-Stir?" How fucking big are these

asshole's egos? What a creative name for the yacht!!!!! :puke:

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. The geezer and his wife had a real eye for tasteless ugly junk

The kind of shit that rich texas assholes and ME sultans buy. I hope it was worth it to him.

Honest to god, would you want to have shit like that in your house?

[Stephanie]

13. Why collect ostentatious loot that you then have to hide?

It's counterintuitive - what's the point? I guess that's why I'm broke. I don't get it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

15. It's like people who own stolen paintings, you can't let anybody else

see them, so what's the point?