Ex-CIA official, defense contractor indicted in Cunningham probe
By Kelli Arena and Terry Frieden
CNN
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- The CIA's former third-ranking official and a California defense contractor have been indicted on corruption charges in the same bribery probe that sent former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham to prison, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Kyle "Dusty" Foggo quit his post as the CIA's executive director in May 2006 after prosecutors began looking into his ties with a longtime friend, Brent Wilkes. Tuesday, prosecutors alleged that Foggo -- in exchange for vacations on private jets, expensive meals and a promise of future employment -- pressured subordinates to award water and procurement services contracts to Wilkes and his company, ADCS Inc.
Foggo "affirmatively hid" the gifts from his superiors at the CIA before his resignation, U.S. attorney Carol Lam told reporters.
Wilkes has been charged with bribery, conspiracy, money laundering, wire fraud and depriving taxpayers of honest services in a 35-count indictment. In addition to charges relating to Foggo, he is accused of bribing Cunningham -- now serving an eight-year prison term -- to the tune of $700,000 to get the congressman to steer government contracts his way.
Foggo was named to the CIA's No. 3 post, in charge of the spy agency's day-to-day operations, by then-Director Porter Goss. He resigned a week after Goss was forced out by widespread criticism of his management, and federal agents raided his home days later.
Goss has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.
The indictments stem from an ongoing corruption probe into Cunningham, a decorated Navy veteran who held seats on the House Intelligence Committee and the appropriations subcommittee that oversaw Pentagon spending. He pleaded guilty in November 2005 to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractor Mitchell Wade.
-- CNN's Kelli Arena and Terry Frieden
cnn.com |
