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Brent Wilkes' "Secret Benefactor" Wants to Assure Anonymity Before Paying Bail
Have no fear, Brent Wilkes! Your secret benefactor is here!
Wilkes, the defense contractor convicted of bribing Duke Cunningham, has been sitting in federal custody unable to meet his $1.4 million bail pending appeal of his case. But now, an anonymous donor has emerged, agreeing to provide "Wilkes's shortfall" in making bail-- but only on the condition that his identity is kept a secret.
From the North County Times:
"Mr. Wilkes' third party surety seeks to keep his identifying information, including his full name, confidential," Wilkes' attorney, Robert Rexrode, wrote in a motion filed Friday. "Revealing this would both be damaging to his livelihood and would reveal his net worth. ..."Under the deal proposed by Wilkes through his attorney, even though the man's name would be kept from the public, federal prosecutors could be privy to it.
As we previously reported, Wilkes is now broke-- a long fall from the multi-million defense contracts he once held. He and his family have tried to put their homes up for collateral, but falling housing prices have made them worth less than the $1.4 million needed for bail.
Josh
Zachary
Do I see a book deal emerging?
July 15, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
The fact he is not sharing a cell with Duke Cunningham today is a testament to his defense lawyers. Wilkes made himself "destitute" by transferring (hiding) his assets and, as I recall, even going as far as a convenient divorce.
Poor Brent, looks like he's going to have to again settle for the less attractive hooker (until his presidential pardon arrives).
July 15, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
What's in this for the benefactor? Why now?
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
July 15, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
The wealthy seem to think that they are entitled to privileges that the rest of are not. When Joe sixpack's wife has to post his $500 bail, she doesn't get to be anonymous or get special press coverage. Maybe the fact he wants to be anonymous should prompt him to think of the ethics of what he's doing anyway.
July 15, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Sheldon Adelson?
July 15, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
how do you hide stuff from the feds anymore?
Even if it was in a Swiss account it would be an easy task to inventory his assets.
When someone says he is broke, its the MSM trying to tell us little peeps, what we now know post FISA,Homeland Security, to be false.
the feds know and how much he has. Good that his homes are falling in value like the rest of us.
July 15, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
This donors name must remain totally secret (Dick Cheney), if this came out it would totally seem inappropriate considering his current position (Vice President). I think this honorable yet secretive man (Dick Cheney) should be allowed to pay this mans bail in anonymity(Dick Cheney).
Thats my argument and I (who am not Dick Cheney) stand by it.
July 15, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone else see the conflict in this argument? He can pony up bail (assuming the standard 10 percent necessary to secure bail, $104,000) but is worried about his livelihood.
Sorry, that does not compute.
July 15, 2008 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
how can this be legal?
July 15, 2008 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
let's guess who it could be.
Duke Cunningham?
Norquist?
Friends of Scooter Libby?
Why so shy?
July 15, 2008 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
is it someone connected to the McLame campaign?
July 15, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
When Judge Burns let Brent Wilkes out of jail last month to attend his daughter's graduation, he stipulated that Wilkes could not engage in monetary transactions or sign documents transferring property. The judge also thinks Wilkes was less than honest on his financial disclosure record.
Wilkes is between a rock and a hard spot. On the one hand, he is trying to get free legal assistance from a public defender so he must claim poverty to get it. On the other hand, Wilkes needs assets to get out on bail before his appeal hearing. The two work against each other.
It was rumored that Wilkes hid money in offshore accounts during the "good times." With the prosecutors watching, it will be hard to get money from those accounts directly. So Wilkes may have to "launder" them through a friend.
Wilkes does have friends. A couple of his neighbors in Poway CA who were involved with Wilkes nonprofit charity that mostly gave big trophy to hero Duke Cunningham, came to Wilkes rescue when his business property (ADCS) was about to go on the auction block. They bought it from him and later sold it to an REIT. So, did they hang on to a little of the money to dole out during tough times?
July 15, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink