Former Rep. Duke Cunningham seeks clemency from Bush on bribery conviction

By Associated Press

8:00 PM EDT, July 22, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who is serving federal prison time for accepting millions of dollars in bribes, has asked President Bush to grant him clemency.

The San Diego Republican has submitted a petition to commute his sentence, Erik Ablin, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said Monday. No details were provided.

Cunningham was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison after pleading guilty in November 2005 to taking $2.4 million in cash, trips, prostitute services and other gifts as bribes from defense contractors in exchange for government contracts.

Cunningham is serving the sentence at a minimum-security prison camp near Tucson, Ariz.

The Department of Justice will review the petition and recommend to the president whether it should be granted.

Of more than 7,000 petitions for leniency the president has received, he has granted only 157 pardons and 44 commutations.

U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, a Solana Beach Republican who filled Cunningham's seat, said he opposes freeing his predecessor early.

"I don't think I can overstate the damage that Mr. Cunningham did to the institution of government," Bilbray said.