Bassett "made a concerted effort to introduce his good friend Foggo to [committee] members and staff," according to the report, setting up meetings in Washington and arranging for members to visit a CIA logistics center in Frankfurt, Germany, where Foggo was overseeing shipments to CIA locations in the Middle East.
To curry favor among lawmakers, the report says, the two doled out gifts, including plaques bearing empty AK-47 shell casings and rugs emblazoned with "War on Terrorism" logos. The report says Bassett described the gifts as "the little gold stars you give a kid for doing something," and it criticizes what it calls his improper attempts to influence members.
Largely because of Foggo's committee connections, Foggo was elevated to the No. 3 job at the agency after Goss became CIA director in 2004. An indictment filed May 10 in U.S. District Court in San Diego accuses Foggo of accepting lavish meals and vacation trips while using his position at the CIA to try to steer more than $100 million in agency funds to Wilkes.
A congressional official said the committee's findings had been turned over to the Justice Department, which has focused part of its ongoing probe on whether Foggo had aid from lawmakers in steering contracts to Wilkes and other associates.
greg.miller@latimes.com
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Figures in the bribery scandal
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\o7Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham went to prison in 2006 for accepting bribes from defense contractors. Some of his associates are awaiting sentencing; others are facing trial. Here is a glance at the status of the cases:
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Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Pleaded guilty in November 2005 to taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors in exchange for government contracts. The former congressman is serving an eight-year federal prison term.
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Mitchell Wade
Pleaded guilty in February 2006 to giving Cunningham more than $1 million in bribes in exchange for government contracts, including paying $700,000 above market value for Cunningham's Del Mar Heights home. A former Navy officer and the founder of MZM Inc., Wade also pleaded guilty to providing favors to Defense officials and to making illegal campaign contributions. He is awaiting sentencing.
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Thomas Kontogiannis
