American History

» Migisi - "Silencing the Lam"

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A new movie plot for Michael Moore, based on real accounts. I've titled it "Silencing the Lam"...
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Caliornia US Attorney Carol Lam had successfully prosecuted Rep. Congressman Duke Cunningham for bribery and income tax evasion (sentenced to 8+ years). While investigating Cunningham, Lam discovered evidence against two of his associates:
- Brent R. Wilkes, a defense contractor, head of ADCS Inc. and two smaller logistics and lobbying firms.
- Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo, a top CIA official who ran daily operations.
Wilkes and Foggo were college buddies.
Cunningham had admitted in his plea agreement that he used his position on the defense appropriations subcommittee to get millions of dollars in federal contracts for Wilkes/ADCS.
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Wilkes was accused of bribing Congressman Cunningham and CIA Foggo to get contracts for Wilkes' companies.
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Foggo was charged with conspiracy and money laundering. The conspiracy indictment alleges that Foggo used his position at the CIA to pressure subordinates into awarding contracts to Wilkes' companies. In return, Wilkes promised to hire Foggo after he retired from the CIA.
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But there's more...
Lam had a parallel investigation going into Rep. Congressman Jerry Lewis and former Rep. Congressman Bill Lowery.
- Lewis was then chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
- Lowery had served on the Approp. Committee with Lewis. After leaving Congress, he founded a successful lobbying firm. Wilkes was one of Lowery's clients. Clients of Lowery's lobbying firm had been awarded millions of dollars in earmarks - all authorized by Lewis. In addition, members of Lewis' staff had been hired as lobbyists by Lowery's firm, and then they returned to Lewis' staff.
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Lam had notified Washington last year about search warrants in this widening corruption case. Shortly after, Kyle Sampson (Attorney Gen. Gonzales' chief of staff) emailed White House Deputy Counsel William Kelley, referring to a "real problem we have right now with Carol Lam." (Sampson resigned last week.)
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On Dec. 7, Lam was notified that she was fired. She was fired right in the middle of this investigation. She stepped down in February. Two days before leaving office, she announced federal grand jury indictments of Wilkes and Foggo.
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What of Lewis and Lowry? Sorry, you'll have to wait for the sequel to find out what happens to them - if anything, that is.
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The End

-- posted by Migisi