A Republican US congressman has tearfully resigned from office after admitting he took around $2 million in bribes from defence contractors.
Randy "Duke" Cunningham (63), yesterday entered guilty pleas in a US District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for under-reporting his income in 2004.
Mr Cunningham, of California, answered in the affirmative when asked by US District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted bribes from someone in exchange for his performance of official duties.
He will be sentenced in February. He could face a sentence of up to ten years.
Later, at a news conference, he wiped away tears as he announced his resignation. "I can't undo what I have done but I can atone," he said.
Mr Cunningham, who had been in Congress since 1991, had already announced in July that he would not seek re-election next year.
The former Vietnam War flying expert is known on Capitol Hill for his interest in defence issues and his occasional temperamental outbursts.
In addition to buying Mr Cunningham's home at an inflated price, MZM Inc chief Mitchell Wade let him live rent-free on his yacht at the Capital Yacht Club. His firm donated generously to Mr Cunningham's campaigns.
Around the same time, MZM was winning valuable defence contracts, and Mr Cunningham sits on the House Appropriations subcommittee that controls defence dollars.
In 2004 the little-known company based in Washington DC tripled its revenue and nearly quadrupled its staff, according to information posted on the company website before Mr Wade stepped down as president and the company was sold to a private equity firm.
