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For Cunningham case afficionados, alleged co-conspirator #3 from the Cunningham plea agreement, Long Island based, Greek-born developer Thomas T. Kontogiannis, is something of a mystery. As I've written before, we know what alleged co conspirators #1 and 2 from the plea agreement - defense contractors Brent Wilkes and Mitchell J. Wade -- got for their alleged bribes to Cunningham: a few hundred million dollars in defense contracts for their companies.
But what was Kontogiannis' motivation for allegedly being involved in the bribery scheme? What did he get? It's not immediately apparent how the Rosedale NY companies he owns or are affiliated with -- construction, development, real estate -- could have benefited from his alleged $300,000 bribe to Cunningham via overpaying for Cunningham's boat. And by allegedly facilitating the use of a mortgage company run by his wife's nephew for Wilkes and Wade to "launder" their bribes to Cunningham.
Checking out Mr. and Mrs. Kontogiannis' political contributions in 2003-2004 raises more questions. The couple -- mostly through Kontogiannis' wife, Georgia Kontogiannis, described in FEC documents as a "housewife" -- gave some $23,000 to Republican candidates in 2003-2004. And who are the candidates they gave to? A reader more versed in this stuff tells me, "These are all ROMP [Retain Our Majority Party] candidates -- House Republican candidates that the House Republican Majority leadership - especially Tom DeLay - ordered lobbyists to contribute to." You can check out the list yourself. Thomas Kontogiannis also gave at several points to the National Republican Congressional Committee. All legal contributions as far as I can tell, I don't mean to imply anything else.
But the question remains, why is Kontogiannis behaving like a lobbyist? Who or what is he lobbying for? What interests does he have -- as yet unrevealed -- that might have benefited from his arrangement with Cunningham?
Update: Readers have found some very interesting things. Among them, that a Kontogiannis family-owned company, Duocash Public Ltd., would seem to be involved in online payments for gambling. A hint of the circles Gus Boulis ran in? Another Kontogiannis company, Olympic Corp., with offices in Rosedale NY and Athens, built theme parks (apparently). And there seems to be a connection (e.g. a $300,000 plus settlement against TK) between Kontogiannis and the Montreal-based company Bombardier Equity, parent company of the Bombardier Business Jet Solutions Inc., which also owns a stake in? -- that private jet that Brent Wilkes' company Group W partially owns and has flown lawmakers like DeLay and Cunningham around in. Was that the plane that flew Cunningham to Saudi Arabia? And what about the Olympic Petroleum Engineering company located in the same building in Rosedale New York that several other Kontogiannis family corporate properties are located in? Is that a reason Kontogiannis would have wanted to tag along with Cunningham to Saudi Arabia? Red herring?
From Nexis:
Michael is alleged co-conspirator #4 in the Cunningham plea -- and Kontogiannis' wife's nephew. Evangelista Kontogiannis appears to be Kontogiannis' daughter. The company was started in 2004, officially headquartered, it seems, in London, and was dissolved December 6, 2005 -- just eight days after the Cunningham plea.DUOCASH PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
Registration No.: 05062943
EXECUTIVE LIST:
John Thomas MICHAEL
Christopher Michael BERTMAN
Evangelitsa Christine KONTOGIANNIS
BROUGHTON SECRETARIES LIMITED (Resigned Secretary)
PLATINUM NOMINEES LIMITED (Resigned Director)
STEELCOURT NOMINEES LIMITED (Resigned Director)
...