The Daily Sandwich

"We have to learn the lesson that intellectual honesty is fundamental for everything we cherish." -Sir Karl Popper

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Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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Thursday, December 01, 2005

Cunningham investigation: not just graft anymore.

Uh-oh. As if taking more than two million in bribes wasn't enough, Cunningham is now being checked out for misusing intelligence. Corrupt business dealings and manipulating national security-- that makes him an official Bush Republican.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has asked committee attorneys to review former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's work on the panel to ensure he didn't improperly influence committee actions or decisions.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., ordered the review after learning of Cunningham's guilty plea Monday to charges of corruption and tax evasion for taking $2.4 million in bribes, mostly from two defense contractors, in exchange for steering government business their way, said committee spokesman Jamal Ware.

Hoekstra also ordered Cunningham's access to classified information terminated immediately, Ware said Wednesday.

"He believes these concerns are incredibly serious, and that there has to be certainty that everything was done aboveboard on the Intelligence Committee," Ware said. He said, however, that Hoekstra did not believe Cunningham had improperly influenced committee business.