Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

What is it about San Diego and defense corruption?

First there was Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the former congressman who pled guilty to taking a bunch of defense-related bribes and is now doing the time in a federal prison in Arizona. Now, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune, six people at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command have been indicted for supposedly accepting bribes in ...

583893_090708_cunningham2.jpg
583893_090708_cunningham2.jpg





First there was Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the former congressman who pled guilty to taking a bunch of defense-related bribes and is now doing the time in a federal prison in Arizona. Now, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune, six people at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command have been indicted for supposedly accepting bribes in relation to defense contracts. The federal employees were involved in providing support to Southcom’s counter-drug efforts.  

My worry: What if these cases are more common that we know, but are only surfacing in San Diego because of an aggressive local law enforcement office and a newspaper that is interested in the subject?

Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.