Another Randy Cunningham Victim?

The Sunday San Diego Union Tribune continues the paper's excellent coverage of the Randy "Duke" Cunningham saga. Dani Dodge's article concentrates on Cunningham's wife, Nancy, leaving it to readers to determine if this woman who spent 32 years was a victim or another of his co-conspirators.

Certainly, when Nancy Cunningham filed for divorce from flying ace, Randy Cunningham just two years into their marriage, she felt victimized.

“He is a very aggressive spontaneously assaultive person,” she wrote in a court declaration, “and I fear for my immediate physical safety and well being.”

But, the Cunningham's reconciled and Nancy worked diligently to smooth Duke's rough edges and restrain his spontaneously assaultive personality.

Nancy also wouldn't accept Duke's tactless behavior, sticking close to her husband at military parties.

“When she was around, Duke wouldn't say boo,” Criss said. “Randy was a guy who talked first and thought second, and when he would do that, she would correct him and roll her eyes.”

Duke stopped going to bars with others in his unit and turned to sports, hunting and riding off-road motorcycles."

Nancy Cunningham worked to create her own identity and to build a stellar career in public school administration. While Duke moved to Washington and attempted to reprise his "top gun" days, complete with boorish behavior and copious quantities of alcohol, Nancy stayed in San Diego and stuck with her family and career.

Through the years, Nancy advanced in the Encinitas school district and was promoted to principal, first at Flora Vista Elementary School in 1989 and later at Paul Ecke Central/Pacific View Schools.

Nancy was named the school district's 1998 principal of the year. She was promoted to director of administrative support services later that year and a state school administrators group recognized her as administrator of the year in 1999.

The Cunningham's are now separated. She is fighting the federal government to retain her half of the proceeds from the sale of their Rancho Santa Fe home and other assets of the couple. The Rancho Santa Fe home was purchased and financed by bribes from Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade to Cunningham. Much of the homes elaborate furnishings were also given to Duke Cunningham for illegal services rendered.

The problem Nancy Cunningham faces is to convince federal prosecutors and the IRS that she was unaware of the sources of the couple's vastly expanding wealth. Many of the largest bribes to Duke Cunningham were laundered through Cunningham's Top Gun Enterprises, a company he started to exploit his fighter pilot reputation. Nancy Cunningham served as treasurer of Top Gun Enterprises while huge bribes were being passed through the company to Cunningham.

State corporate filings show that Nancy was the secretary/treasurer of Top Gun Enterprises Inc. until May, when she changed her title to secretary. The company's Web site had listed Nancy's father, Richard W. Jones, as operating the company.

Her attorneys, James Macy and Doug Brown, said: “For all practical purposes, Mr. Cunningham was handling all aspects of Top Gun.” The company's Web site is no longer functioning.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes Duke collected were in the form of checks made out to Top Gun Enterprises, which sold his autobiography, Navy fighter pilot baseball caps and Buck knives emblazoned with congressional seals.

While money was flowing through Top Gun Enterprises, expensive furnishings were being delivered to the Cunningham's newly acquired Rancho Santa Fe mansion that Nancy shared with Duke. While all this money and antiques were flowing by, Nancy Cunningham's signature managed to end up on the couple's tax returns.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is continuing its investigation, and Duke's plea deal didn't grant her immunity. Although it's rare for spouses of elected officials to be prosecuted in bribery cases, it's not as unusual for prosecutors to go after them for tax evasion.

Also, if she can't negotiate a settlement about the money the couple made selling their Del Mar Heights home, she may have to testify in court. That would be a dicey step because it could further expose her to criminal prosecution.

Nancy Cunningham stuck with her husband during the early trials of their marriage. She helped him get elected to congress and created a career of her own. Now, thanks to Duke Cunningham's greed, she faces potential prosecution, humiliation and financial uncertainty.

Do you think she ever looks at her husband - war hero, congressman, and once respected member of the community - and asks him why he destroyed everything of value in his life for a small pile of money and some antique furniture?