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Copley News Service's Joe Cantlupe profiles alleged Duke Cunningham co-conspirator, Tommy Kontogiannis -- and their visits to the White House:
... The congressman [Cunningham] and the balding, nattily-clad businessman [Kontogiannis] met about 15 years ago through a mutual acquaintance, Kontogiannis said in an interview with Copley News Service in June.
They sometimes dined together in Washington, D.C., and Kontogiannis invited Cunningham to his daughter's wedding. One of Kontogiannis' nieces also worked in Cunningham's congressional office for several years, according to House legislative records.
The two men also visited the White House together. Kontogiannis had his picture taken with Cunningham at a White House reception, and friends of Kontogiannis say the businessman kept a photo of himself with Cunningham and President Bush in his house.
Building on their relationship, Kontogiannis joined Cunningham on a December 2004 trip to Saudi Arabia. They were accompanied by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Riverside, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rancho Santa Fe businessman Ziyad Abduljawad, who paid for the trip.
Cunningham, who was a member of the appropriations and intelligence committees at the time, has said their goal was to promote better relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Sources said Kontogiannis' interest appeared to center on an oil business he owned in Europe.
In September, two months before Cunningham's plea agreement was made public, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies raided Kontogiannis' home and office. ...