2007 Arizona governor desk

Thursday, October 4, 2007 Arizona governor desk

Dear Friends,

Last week, I had the opportunity at the annual Border Governors Conference to come together with leaders from both the U.S. and Mexico to make important progress on issues where Arizonans demand results. During the conference, I forged new agreements on the border with fellow governors and spoke with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff about issues critical to Arizona especially border security and human and drug smuggling.

Our federal government seems stuck in dealing with problems at the border, leaving the people of border states like Arizona waiting for solutions. Amid this gridlock, it’s important that we as states make progress where we can, and keep pressure on the federal government to act where it must.

For one example, border states in the U.S. and Mexico are now on the same page in combating methamphetamines. Our porous border with Mexico is fueling meth in Arizona – the drug’s precursor chemicals are now imported to the U.S., brought to Mexico, made into meth, and smuggled back. At the conference, border states committed to sharing information to combat smugglers. We pressured the federal government to do the same and help Mexican authorities crack down on meth manufacturing.

While border states in general are taking the lead on border issues, Arizona in particular is standing out as a trailblazer on border security. For border security to be most effective, we need innovative and aggressive ideas to be adopted all across the border, and not just on one stretch – and now, other states are following our lead.
To attack human and drug smuggling, Arizona pioneered the use of damming warrants. The phenomenon of human and drug smuggling is driven by criminal syndicates, and with this tool, we are drying up their financial backbone by targeting their wire transfers. Other states are looking into using this tool as well.
Arizona is developing enhanced drivers’ licenses to reduce fraud and assist employers in verifying whether their employees are legal to work. Other states will be observing our lead on these 3-in-1 IDs.
Even if Washington is putting off border problems, border states are dedicated to taking action wherever we can, and to getting the federal government to keep its eye on the ball.

And as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact my office at 1-800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.

Yours very truly, Janet Napolitano Governor

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Senator Craig to remain in the Senate

Senator Craig to remain in the Senate

how much will this cost the Republican Party ?



WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 — Senator Larry E. Craig of Idaho, defying the wishes of many in his own Republican Party, said today that he would remain in the Senate through next year despite a court ruling against him in Minnesota, where he sought to rescind his guilty plea stemming from an undercover sex sting

$300-a-night prostitutes for Rep Cunningham

$300-a-night prostitutes for California's Rep Cunningham

In 2003, Wilkes got a $16.5 million contract through Cunningham, prosecutors say. In the same year, he purchased Super Bowl tickets and a vacation in Hawaii for Cunningham where he provided the congressman with $300-a-night prostitutes for two nights, prosecutors allege.

In 2004, Wilkes, using Michael and the firm owned by Kontogiannis, gave Cunningham $525,000 to pay off part of a mortgage on the congressman's Rancho Santa Fe estate, the prosecution alleges.

'Never bribed'

Among the potential witnesses are former Cunningham staffers, including three men who served at different times as his chief of staff. Kontogiannis, who faces up to 10 years when he is sentenced in November, also may be called to testify.

Wade, of the former Washington defense firm MZM, who provided Cunningham with a cabin cruiser named the Duke-Stir to live on at a Washington marina, also may appear.

Wade has been cooperating with authorities, prosecutors say, since pleading guilty last year to giving Cunningham more than $1 million in bribes. He faces up to 11 years in prison.

Michael and his attorneys have said little other than to declare his innocence. Efforts to reach them Friday were unsuccessful.

Tales of hookers in Hawaii, Cunningham corruption trial

Cunningham corruption trial set to begin

By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO ---- Tales of hookers in Hawaii, lavish Capitol Hill dinner parties, private jet junkets and free-flowing cash are expected to be heard when a trial for two men tied to the tawdry corruption of former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham begins in San Diego on Tuesday.

Facing multiple counts of money laundering and bribery are former Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes and New York financier John T. Michael. Each man has declared he is innocent of any wrongdoing.

A 28-page trial memorandum filed by federal prosecutors this week suggests that the government has a wealth of evidence to the contrary. And some of their most damaging material may come directly from Cunningham, who is listed as one of more than 40 potential prosecution witnesses.


The government contends that over an eight-year period starting in 1998, Wilkes obtained more than $80 million in defense contracts for his now-defunct firm, ADCS Inc., in exchange for more than $700,000 in cash and material bribes to Cunningham.

Michael is accused of laundering some of the money through his mortgage company, accepting several thousand dollars in exchange for his services.

Michael's uncle, Thomas Kontogiannis of New York, played a key role in those transactions, the government contends, describing both as "professional money launderers." Kontogiannis has pleaded guilty to bribing Cunningham and is awaiting sentencing.

'Chance to learn'

The trial is expected to last at least three weeks and may expose the inner workings of congressional appropriations, particularly "earmarks" ---- legislative moves that lawmakers use to insert money for pet projects into spending bills.

"Beyond the good, bad and ugly of how Brent Wilkes bribed Duke Cunningham is a chance to learn about the system and why Mr. Wilkes decided the only way he could get ahead in Washington was to bribe a prominent appropriator," said Keith Ashdown of a Washington watchdog group called Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Cunningham, a former North County Republican congressman, pleaded guilty in late 2005 to tax evasion and receiving more than $2.4 million in bribes.

His attorney, K. Lee Blalack, would not say Friday if Cunningham will take the witness stand in the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns, the same judge who sentenced him to more than eight years in prison.

"That's up to the attorneys trying the case," Blalack said during a telephone interview.

That Cunningham has been transferred from an Arizona prison to the Metropolitan Correctional Center near San Diego's Front Street federal courthouse suggests he will appear.

'Hired gun'

Prosecutors contend in documents filed earlier this week that much of the graft that wound up in Cunningham's pockets came directly from Wilkes with Michael's help. Court documents name them as two of four major co-conspirators in the largest congressional corruption case ever uncovered.

Prosecutors allege Wilkes' bribes included trips, arranging prostitutes for Cunningham during a trip to Hawaii, Babylonian meals with fine wines costing thousands of dollars, a speed boat and cash.

Where's the Fence Fridays

Where's the Fence Fridays ed, P. Patrick, a Grassfire team member sent us a brilliantidea she calls "Where's the Fence Fridays" that we are kickingoff this Friday. Every Friday until the Border Fence is completed, we are askingALL members of our team to contact their two Senators andCongressman asking each one "Where's the Fence?" As taxpayers, we have a right to know the status of the fence--especially since it has been long promised us. So please take amoment this Friday to contact your lawmakers and candidly askthem "Where's The Fence?" Here's your contact information: Sen. McCain 202-224-2235Sen. Kyl 202-224-4521 Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (for your Congressman) If they cannot give you specifics, take a moment to fillthem in. Let them know that since the Secure Fence Actwas passed, only 18 miles of the promised 854 mileshave been built! Let them know that based on TIME magazine's estimate, morethan 8,000 illegal aliens cross our borders EVERY DAY! we need to be holding leadership accountable,and this is one way everyone in Congress can get a weeklyreminder that we are watching. Be sure to call this Friday. Finally, we need to continue growing our grassroots army ofcitizens, so please forward this message to 15-20 of yourfriends and encourage them to add their names to our growingpetition by clicking here: http://www.grassfire.org/42/petition.asp?PID=11222869

www.mccainalert.com