Duke Caught Scratching Financier's Back

Randy "Duke" Cunningham's legal problems continue to mount. In today's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, it was reported that Duke interceded on behalf of the financier of his house and condo when he was under investigation in a bribery and kickback scheme.

This excerpt from The San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the relationship between New York developer Thomas T. Kontogiannis and Cunningham.

Cunningham interceded with prosecutor on behalf of developer
By Erica Werner
ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:09 p.m. July 26, 2005

WASHINGTON – Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham wrote to prosecutors on behalf of a New York developer who later bought his boat and helped finance his house and condo.

The developer, Thomas T. Kontogiannis, was under investigation in a bribery and kickback scheme involving school computer contracts when Cunningham, R-Calif., wrote to the Queens, N.Y., district attorney on Oct. 19, 2000.

In his letter, faxed on congressional stationery to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Cunningham suggested that Kontogiannis might be the victim of a political agenda against a school official also under investigation. The letter was not responded to or acted on, Brown spokeswoman Nicole Navas said.

"It has come to my attention that a case has been filed against Tom Kontogiannis in New York's 29th school district. It has been alleged that there may be a political agenda being waged against former Superintendent Celestine Miller by a company allegedly not capable of completing a contract, and therefore Mr. Kontogiannis is being allegedly victimized," Cunningham wrote.

Click here to read the entire article from The San Diego Union-Tribune