Brent Wilkes convicted of bribing Republican Cunningham

November 5, 2007

Defense contractor Brent Wilkes was convicted Monday of bribing jailed Republican ex-congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

The federal jury took three days of deliberations to find Wilkes guilty on 13 corruption counts.

Wilkes was accused of providing more than $700,000 to Cunningham in exchange for the southern California Republican's help steering more than $70 million in defense contracts to Wilkes and another contractor, Mitchell Wade. Jurors began deliberating Wednesday after a three-week trial, finding Wilkes guilty of bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and 10 counts of wire fraud, assistant U.S. attorney Phillip Halpern said.

Prosecutors accused Wilkes of paying off a half-million-dollar note on the congressman's California home; picking up the tab for vacation outings, private jet travel and limousines; buying Cunningham a $14,000 speedboat; and having an employee line up prostitutes for himself and the lawmaker during a two-night stay in Hawaii.

Wilkes could face up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, which Halpern said has been set for Jan. 28. His lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the verdict.