Roy Blunt Tied To Cunningham Investigation and Questionable Use Of A Corporate Jet

The sleaze around Rep. Roy Blunt (R-K Street) continues to ooze.

Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-San Diego) is under federal investigation for his cozy relationships with certain defense contractors.  Cunningham is so embattled, he recently announced that he will not seek re-election.

Yesterday, the San Diego Union Tribune published a story outlining ties between Cunningham, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Majority Whip Roy Blunt and yet another defense contractor who has been granting them the use of his Lear jet to conduct their extensive and questionable political activities.

San Diego's Group W Transportation is a private air carrier so small that until recently its entire fleet consisted of a one-16th ownership stake in a Lear jet.

Yet Group W, owned by Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes, has provided personal air transportation for some high-profile passengers – including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who has flown on the jet to such locations as Idaho for a hunting trip and Hawaii for a golf tournament.

More:

FEC records show that DeLay took his first Group W flight in June 2003 on a trip with Cunningham. The two legislators paid a combined total of $3,765 for the trip. DeLay also used the Lear jet to fly to a campaign event for Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, in July 2004 at a cost of $2,350. The political action committee of Rep. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, also paid $1,590 for tickets on the plane.