Wired or not?
Time's on-line edition claims that Duke Cunningham wore a wire at the request of federal investigators during the time between cutting his deal with the Feds and announcing his plea bargain in court.
Cunningham's legal team was silent on the question until yesterday when they issued a very careful statement. According to his lawyers, Cunningham never wore a wire "during any conversations with his former congressional colleagues or any other public official, and he has not surreptitiously gathered evidence against any public officials."
That statement had to allow some of the Duke's old buddies in congress to heave a sigh of relief. Duncan Hunter (CA-52), who spent a lot of time with Duke and supported the same defense contractors, must have been particularly relieved.
However, Duke's lawyer did not address the central alligation of the Time story. Did Duke wear a wire? Their denial says he didn't wear the wire when meeting with public officials, but that certainly leave the door open to the recording of conversations with private businessmen and lobbyists. Conversations that could have been about public officials.
In the NC Times, John Van Doorn cautions us that nothing that comes from the Cunningham camp can be taken at face value.
"If this comes down to a choice between Time and Cunningham, you'd probably do yourself a favor by giving the edge to Time.
That is not because Time has a corner on the truth or sets the benchmark for integrity. It is because, by the record and by his own admissions, Cunningham doesn't know what the truth is. Unless he's caught lying.
He lied for months about taking bribes of $2.4 million to do the bidding of defense contractors. When he confessed to the criminal charges ---- he's guilty, folks; the feds had him ---- he wept. He acknowledged having lied for years, then lying about his lying. He said what a bad person he was.
Now he is in denial again. No wires for him, by gosh. Didn't do it."
Cunningham's legal team was silent on the question until yesterday when they issued a very careful statement. According to his lawyers, Cunningham never wore a wire "during any conversations with his former congressional colleagues or any other public official, and he has not surreptitiously gathered evidence against any public officials."
That statement had to allow some of the Duke's old buddies in congress to heave a sigh of relief. Duncan Hunter (CA-52), who spent a lot of time with Duke and supported the same defense contractors, must have been particularly relieved.
However, Duke's lawyer did not address the central alligation of the Time story. Did Duke wear a wire? Their denial says he didn't wear the wire when meeting with public officials, but that certainly leave the door open to the recording of conversations with private businessmen and lobbyists. Conversations that could have been about public officials.
In the NC Times, John Van Doorn cautions us that nothing that comes from the Cunningham camp can be taken at face value.
"If this comes down to a choice between Time and Cunningham, you'd probably do yourself a favor by giving the edge to Time.
That is not because Time has a corner on the truth or sets the benchmark for integrity. It is because, by the record and by his own admissions, Cunningham doesn't know what the truth is. Unless he's caught lying.
He lied for months about taking bribes of $2.4 million to do the bidding of defense contractors. When he confessed to the criminal charges ---- he's guilty, folks; the feds had him ---- he wept. He acknowledged having lied for years, then lying about his lying. He said what a bad person he was.
Now he is in denial again. No wires for him, by gosh. Didn't do it."
posted by RJB at 7:38 AM
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