Feds Auction Off Corrupt Congressman's Items

The antiques and other furnishings forfeited by former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham in his corruption case were laid out yesterday in a San Diego area warehouse as if on display at a garage sale.

Which, in a sense, they were.

The handmade Oriental carpets spread on a concrete floor and French armoires propped up on shipping crates were on display for the media before they are sold to the public.

Nearby, federal agents discussed the loot with an appraiser and representatives for an auctioneer, with their papers spread over a marble-topped buffet with curved glass doors and gold-leaf fittings.

Just over a week after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion, Cunningham turned over many of the items he agreed to surrender after admitting he took bribes from Pentagon contractors and a New York businessman.

The furnishings will be put up for auction early next year and the proceeds will be split among the agencies that investigated the case: the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation division and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

As the wares were displayed yesterday, Cunningham's colleagues in Washington, D.C., formally accepted his resignation. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Cunningham "violated" the trust he built during a military and legislative career. Cunningham faces up to 10 years in prison and $350,000 in fines at a sentencing scheduled for Feb. 27.

He admitted he took more than $2.4 million in bribes and agreed to forfeit $1.8 million in cash, his share of the proceeds from the sale of his Rancho Santa Fe mansion and a variety of items bought with bribe money.