POGO blog's Nick Schwellenbach points to a LAT report that the House intel committee is going to investigate "whether Cunningham had influenced spending on classified programs to benefit companies that offered him bribes."

As the LAT's Greg Miller reports:

Cunningham's membership on the Intelligence Committee — which sets the broad spending priorities for the nation's 15 spy agencies and oversees their clandestine activities around the world — has come under less scrutiny.

He was named to the committee in 2001 and more recently served as chairman of its subcommittee on terrorism, human intelligence, analysis and counterintelligence. As a result, he had access to information on a vast array of classified programs that receive about $40 billion in funding each year.

Cunningham's district is home to a number of defense contractors and other companies that do classified intelligence-related work. Shortly after joining the committee in 2001, he wrote to executives at a dozen companies in his district, promoting his new position.

"I feel fortunate to represent the nation's top technological talent in the 'black' world," Cunningham wrote, referring to classified programs whose budgets are not publicly disclosed.

The Feb. 8, 2001, letter went on to say that he "appreciated the opportunity to work with you on key service funding priorities" and that his new position would lead to "even greater opportunities to work together in support of our national security and intelligence communities." ...

More here on this issue.

Posted by Laura at December 1, 2005 11:39 AM