Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, History's Most Corrupt Congressman (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Ronald McKeown was in a mood to celebrate..." (more)
Key Phrases: counterintelligence field activity, defense appropriations, contracting officials, San Diego, Defense Department, Top Gun (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Without fanfare, Hettena, an Associated Press reporter based near Republican congressman Randy Duke Cunningham's district in Southern California, lays out the facts of his political downfall in 2006— which some observers believe tarnished the GOP and enabled the Democrats to regain their congressional majority. Though the shockwaves emanating from Cunningham's downfall have continued to make headlines—among eight federal prosecutors forced to resign from the Justice Department last year was Carol Lam, who ran the investigation of the two defense contractors who gave Cunningham $2.4 million over a five-year period, more than half of it in just three months—Hettena doesn't reach for the broader political ramifications. He debunks the most lurid stories of contractors providing prostitutes for congressmen at the Watergate, but the corruption and sexual harassment he does pin down are more than sufficiently sordid. He also probes Cunningham's background as a self-aggrandizing Vietnam fighter pilot and combative politician who once got into a fistfight with a Democratic colleague outside House chambers. This straightforward account is a strong summation of Cunningham's ignoble career. (July)
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Product Description

Randy “Duke” Cunningham was an ace fighter pilot and Top Gun instructor.  He came back from battle as Vietnam’s most famous pilot—a Navy hero in an unpopular war.  In his political life, Cunningham was an eight-term United States representative who never lost an election.  So how did this powerful politician, one of the Vietnam War’s most highly decorated pilots, become the most corrupt congressman in U.S. history?

In 2005, Cunningham shocked the nation by pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, fraud, and tax evasion. A federal judge sentenced him to more than eight years in prison, the longest sentence handed down to a member of Congress in 40 years.  And even as Cunningham was led, weeping, to prison, investigators continued to uncover a deep-rooted scandal, reaching the cozy nexus between Congress and lobbyists, military contractors, the Defense Department and the upper ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Cunningham’s bribes were seemingly endless.  They included a yacht, a Rolls-Royce, and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of antiques.  Defense contractors flew him aboard private chartered jets to luxury destinations, picked up the tab at expensive restaurants, and paid for his daughter’s graduation party.  In total, he collected at least $2.4 million in five years, a series of acts unequaled in the long, sordid history of congressional corruption.   An ongoing investigation is even exploring allegations that prostitutes were hired by Cunningham's associates to entertain the congressman.  His corruption and that of his cohorts was a decisive factor in the 2006 elections, as Democrats retook control of the House for the first time in more than a decade.

What led a man who showed such strength and resolve in battle to show such moral weakness later in life? Had he become a prisoner of greed or was he manipulated by others far more cunning than he?  What happened to Randy Cunningham?  In Feasting on the Spoils, Hettena offers a probing look at deception and avarice.  He paints an unforgettable portrait of a life publicly unraveled, and of a man for whom the mysteries—and the history of fraud—only seem to deepen.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312368291
• ISBN-13: 978-0312368296
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #355,289 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feasting on the Spoils: A Must Read Book for Our Time!, December 28, 2007

By	G. Florence Scott (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Our country is in trouble. Big trouble. The amount of greed and corruption that is being allowed to run amuck these past seven years is staggering. With all of the terror mongering going on, many will turn the other way not wanting any more bad news. Do not make that mistake.

Hettena has masterfully taken a complex, convoluted and just plain confusing history and woven a fascinating and comprehensible story which helps us understand not only what happened in the case of Randy "Duke" Cunningham and his contractor cronies, Wade and Wilkes, but skillfully illuminates the reasons why.

Perhaps some of you will say they're unethical - so what? The amount of corruption and the web of complicity throughout our government and industry have reached record breadth and depth. It will not improve until the American public pays attention, understands, and demands that it be stopped. Each of us has a part in this drama. A good place to start is reading this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspired reader, August 1, 2007

By	Chris Catalano (Marin County) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great work Seth Hettena! I really enjoyed reading this book. I lived in San Diego during the "Duke" era and was shocked when all of this corruption scandal unfolded. Seth did a great job in describing the events of this crime. He also paints a very different picture of the "Duke" we all knew. The great Vietnam fighter ace was able to defeat his enemy, but was not able to fight off his own addiction to fame, money and status.

It was very clear to me after reading this book how our culture of materialism and consumerism has gotten out of control. The "Duke" got caught up in this and loses site of what is important in life and his purpose as a father, husband and congressional representative. Seth paints a very clear picture of a man caught up in his own ego unable to distinguish right from wrong. This book reminded me about the frailty of human beings and the necessity to show how bad it can get when we lose site of our purpose. This timely book should not only be a must read for every politician....but everyone.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An eyewitness to the events, August 1, 2007

By	A close Constituent (San Diego) - See all my reviews

Seth has written what I thought was a balanced and accurate account of events in the Cunningham corruption case. His commendable reporting is in dramatic contrast to "The Wrong Stuff". Speaking only to my direct experience, I was shocked and appalled at the fabricated "facts" contained in the fictionalizations perpetrated by "The Wrong Stuff". Thank you Mr. Hettena for not succumbing to creatively sleaze up an already scandalous situation and for sticking to relating the real story of this compelling non-fiction tragedy.