JUSTICE

Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the former charismatic Member of the United States House of Representatives and America’s most decorated Ace from the Vietnam War sat for more than eight years in prison, convicted in the largest scandal in Congressional history.  It was a shameful and catastrophic culmination of a career forged on the front lines of a war zone, and inside the halls of ultimate power.  While many question the motives that drove such an ostensibly famous family man to the depths of disgrace, I had the misfortune to watch firsthand as the catalysts to his congressional crimes crept into his conscious conduct, tragically changing forever the outcome of one of the best technological opportunities ever squandered.

 

The real penalty for the crimes Duke perpetrated did not just play out inside his cell, but rather amid our citizenry as everyone in our country suffers the consequences of his astonishing arrogance and avarice.  Certainly, the seeds that drove him to take chances, defy authority, and host a misguided and seemingly insatiable sense of righteously deserving more: more authority, more money, more fame, had long since been rooted within Duke’s personality; but as occurs in almost every complex conspiracy, there existed the presence of others whose involvement furthered the events that subsequently resulted in the congressman’s incarceration. 

 

This book is dedicated to describing some of the circumstances that contributed to Cunningham’s conviction.  It is a chronology of creativity, entrepreneurism, conspiracies, crimes, and coincidences that caused the collapse of one of America’s most promising companies and along with it, the careers of many who had come to know the pinnacles of power.   

 

Although all of the courtroom attention was of statutory necessity focused on the felonies that were charged, a continuum of consistency reached back more than a decade, revealing years of debauchery and deceit that often delved to depths far below any standard of conduct that served as a benchmark for their convictions.  Part greedy, part desperate, and entirely determined, the players in these events worked to their demise day by day, and year after year. 

 

As early as 1994, I attempted to bring the attention of federal investigators to the nascence of the crimes that would continue to blossom and embolden over time.  Cunningham actually was a Johnny-come-lately to the collection of carnivores that had already gathered around some AI code from San Diego that seemed to hold the key to unlock many of these predators’ ambitions. 

 

You are invited to take a moment to read some chapters.  Please be cautioned that they occasionally contain vivid descriptions that employ adult language.