The Unauthorized Randy “Duke” Cunningham Page

Roll Call, a DC political newspaper tracked down the unnamed honest Cunningham Chief of Staff who quit at the end of 2004 after confronting Cunningham regarding the bribes.
See the Government's sentencing memo, p. 19.
http://www.dukecunningham.org/bibliography/cunningham-government-sentencing-memo.pdf

The staffer was David J. Heil. The TPMCafe blog quotes from Roll Call at
http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/27293 :

". . . although he keeps in touch with some of his former Capitol Hill colleagues, Heil described an overwhelming feeling of disenchantment and bitterness among some of Cunningham?s former aides. Several have left politics or sought a future outside of Washington."

Heil says:

"How else do you define when someone looks you in the eye and lies to you on several occasions?” Heil asked. “But then again, he did that to everybody."

Heil now works for a law firm, according to this webpage:
http://www.mckennalong.com/people-877.html
Apparently as a lobbyist (at least that's my reading between the lines).

Like to read this guy's book.

[...]


"And here's a tale of what passes for principle in Washington: The staffer didn't turn him in — he quit. He's now a lobbyist, specializing in — you guessed it — defense and appropriations."

Washington Post 2/28/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/27/AR2006022701045.html

Amazing John, just goes to show that the truth is stranger than sh!t.

I think that everyone should email David Heil and ask why he only quit, why he did not turn Cunningham in for theft, treason and bribery, and why he waited until the U.S. Attorney came knocking on his door before he talked . . . do you just stand by and watch a bank being robbed, or do you call 9-1-1?

David Heil - dheil@mckennalong.com

Here's a Union-Tribune article on Heil, with some more quotes from him:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20060301-9999-1n1heil.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20060301-9999-1n1heil.html

A dilemma he and anywould would have who would rant on a crooked boss is would it ruin his career? Society does not treat whistleblowers kindly. It looks like he took a middle road by quitting, then passively waiting for investigators to come around to him a few years later.

You know Dan, that I understand. A cousin of mine was a whistleblower and was right, but it finished him in the Marines. To use the then expression, "The Corps lost confidence in him."

I met a reporter during vietnam. He came to the ship I was on to do a piece on the Navy and Navy "Airpower." We were in the ready room early one morning just talking off the record. He said that good reporting "Was like kicking over rocks."

Marcus Stern's discovery of the Cunningham - MZM house deal that lead to all the rest is a perfect example of what that reporter said so long ago.

Is the man up for a Pulitzer?

As it should be . . .