IS BRENT WILKES THE KEY TO OPENING UP THE WHOLE GOP CONGRESSIONAL CULTURE OF CORRUPTION?

A few days ago we asked "Who'll be the Next Republicrook To Face Prison?". A case can certainly be made for any number. My personal fave would be the slippery earmarkin' bribery kingpin, Jerry Lewis. But Tom DeLay still isn't in prison. Nor is Bob Ney. Bob Ney is still even in Congress! Denny Hastert, Ken Calvert and Gary Miller are going to have some real estate-related crimes to answer for. Very strong cases can surely be made for Virgil Goode, Jr and Katherine Harris-- and for over half the Republican congressional caucus from California.

But yesterday's Washington Post points in another direction altogether: GOP wheeler-dealer, bribing maniac and crooked defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who is, after all caught up in quite a few serious scandals. He was "Co-Conspirator No. 1" in the indictment that has far right ex-Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham currently rotting in prison for 8 years. (Inside sources say the Feds have proof that Wilkes gave Cunningham between half a million and a million dollars in bribes for his help in obtaining contracts and sweetheart deals with the Defense Department and even more money to Jerry Lewis, Duncan Hunter and John Doolittle.)

With the other crooked Republican defense contractor in the case, Mitchell Wade singing like a canary, it is only a matter of time before Wilkes will either be turning state's evidence about the numerous congressional crooks he bribed or getting used to a new roommate in a federal penitentiary. So far Wilkes "has been subpoenaed in the Texas case against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. He gave money to U.S. Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., a member of the House Appropriations Committee who has acknowledged helping Wilkes win contracts and whose name has surfaced in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. He hired the lobbying firm that is being investigated as part of the probe of contracts approved by U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He is a childhood friend of Kyle 'Dusty' Foggo, the former high-ranking CIA official whose home and office were raided by FBI agents in May as part of the Cunningham investigation. Foggo left his job after disclosures that he participated in poker games organized by Wilkes. FBI officials have also been investigating whether Wilkes provided prostitutes for the parties."


Aside from being a Bush "Pioneer" (which means he raised at least $100,000 for the BushCheney campaign, Wilkes also gave $70,000 to Schwarzenegger, who appointed him to the Del Mar Fair Board in 2004 and the State Race Track Leasing Commission in 2005. (And as longtime GOP consultant Cynthia Vicknair admits, Wilkes "wasn't going to fundraise for anybody if he wasn't getting something in return."

Should Wilkes get the book thrown at him? Well, of course. But what about the elected officials who accepted his money and in return used their power-- the power we entrusted them with-- to enrich himself and his associates and to corrupt our entire political system? What about Doolittle? What about Jerry Lewis? What about Duncan Hunter? What about Schwarzenegger? What about DeLay? What about Bush? Will none of these lowlife crooks see the inside of a prison cell? It seems to me these scoundrels are doubly guilty for betraying the public trust but instead of that compounding their crimes, it will probably protect many of them. And the public? You wanna laugh? You wanna cry?


10 AM NON-WILKES AFTERTHOUGHT: MR AND MRS DOOLITTLE

Like Bob Ney, John Doolittle is involved in more scandals than just the Cunningham stuff. Apparently he and his moll are among the dirtiest of the dirty. Last week Paul Kiel explained how the concept of quid pro quo has made the trashy Doolittles very wealthy-- and how it will land them both behind bars once the Abramoff cases come front and center.