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Prostitutes Testify at Brent Wilkes Trial

Yesterday, at the corruption trial of contractor Brent Wilkes in California, the Government closed its case with testimony from two prostitutes who testified about their activities with Wilkes and former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
A prostitute whom prosecutors say a defense contractor provided to former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham testified Wednesday that the congressman fed her grapes as she sat naked in a hot tub before they headed to a bedroom at a Hawaiian resort.

....Donna Rosetta said she was chauffeured to a private villa at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in Kamelua, Hawaii, in August 2003 by an escort service she worked for. Cunningham and Wilkes invited her and a second woman to undress and slide into a hot tub before Cunningham invited her upstairs, Rosetta said. "They were smoking cigars and talking about some meeting they had earlier," Rosetta said. She and Cunningham went to a bedroom, and he tipped her $50 to $80, she said.

The other woman, Tammy McFadden, testified that Wilkes and Cunningham appeared to be arguing about who would go upstairs with which woman. "The one I ended up with was the one who was running the show," said McFadden, referring to Wilkes. She described Cunningham as "the boisterous one" and said he was overbearing.

I hear Wilkes' lawyer didn't even cross-examine at least one of the women. Probably, of more concern to him was the testimony of Wilkes' nephew, Joel Combs, who found the hookers and described for the jury how Wilkes used free trips and other inducements to get close to Cunningham.

More...

Naturally, Combs got immunity in exchange for his testimony against his uncle.

“He could get Duke on the phone any time, any place,” Joel Combs said during nearly a full day of testimony.

Combs was the star witness for prosecutors, giving jurors an inside view of how Wilkes' company operated and of Wilkes' relationship with the disgraced Cunningham.

Wilkes' lawyer, Mark Geragos, begins his defense today.

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  • Display: Sort:
    I'm always amazed... (none / 0) (#1)
    by desertswine on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 11:10:04 AM EST
    at how cheaply our politicians sell themselves.

    Booze, trips, and hookers.

    My thoughts exactly. (none / 0) (#3)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 02:54:52 PM EST
    Depending on the.... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 02:57:23 PM EST
    types of booze, trips, and hookers....it's not necessarily cheap:)

    Can you put a price on a great lay in a tropical locale with top shelf liquor?  Men have sold their souls for less.

    Parent

    true enough... (none / 0) (#5)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 03:05:27 PM EST
    Dollarwise Not So Cheap (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 03:05:40 PM EST
    Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned in disgrace yesterday after admitting he took more than $2.4 million in bribes to help defense contractors land lucrative government contracts.

    link

    And that is just what he admitted to getting....

    Parent

    Meanwhile Richard Perle (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by jondee on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:03:41 PM EST
    trades classified info about Iraq with Goldman Sachs and skates -- so far, any way.

    If there was ever anything like a Church committee
    to investigate the shameless, sleaze ball feeding frenzy after "9/11 changed everything" it'd have enough to go on for ten years.

    Parent

    Boy Do We Need A Change (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:11:53 PM EST
    Carol Lam was fired, for her service.  Another 10 Waxmans, Feingolds, Dodds and we may get through all the muck.

    Parent
    Those women (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 02:18:55 PM EST
    have no idea how much money they made for Wilkes that night. Otherwise they would have demanded a few million in tips.

    Our tax dollars at work in the world's oldest profession. Now THAT'S pornographic!

    Duke Cunningham. Our hero.

    We should all stop paying the 50% of our taxes that go to the war machine.

    Wilkes, Cunningham (none / 0) (#9)
    by jondee on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:35:05 PM EST
    Abramoff et al make these women look like amateurs.

    I ask all of you to put partisanship aside and join me in condemning this behavior.


    Parent

    One day later (none / 0) (#10)
    by jondee on Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 03:16:49 PM EST
    Still nothing but crickets.

    Your non-responce defines you.