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Scandal Limo Co. Owner Speaks
Finally, we hear from Christopher Baker of Shirlington Limousine. Now that his champion Duke Cunningham's in the slammer, he's lost his contract with the Department of Homeland Security, and he's not happy about it.
And in the interview, he finally airs his views on the characters in the Cunningham saga. Brent Wilkes? He's a nice, upstanding guy. But Mitch Wade? He's got a "bad spirit."
But above all, he wants the world to know that he's no pimp. Just bad luck with customers.
From The Hill:
A Washington transportation company that was questioned in the Randy “Duke” Cunningham investigation is on the verge of losing its contract with the Department of Homeland Security, but has gone to federal court to keep it.Shirlington Limousine and Transportation Inc. filed a lawsuit last week accusing the department of “caving” to “political pressures” surrounding the Cunningham case by illegally changing its shuttle-services contract to exclude Shirlington....
In an interview, Baker said he did nothing wrong in his interaction with Cunningham, Wilkes and Wade, or in his performance of the Homeland Security contract. He said he became a scapegoat in the Cunningham scandal and was a convenient target for Democrats in election-year politics.
“It’s like someone has an axe to grind and they’re just going to make it happen,” Baker said. “I feel like one of the Rutgers girls. All this happens, and now I’m treated like I’m a pimp.”
Baker, who testified before a grand jury in the Cunningham case, said he started driving Wilkes in 1994. He said he drove Cunningham on occasion, but that he usually saw Cunningham driving himself in a green sport-utility vehicle.
Most of the time, he said, “I saw Mr. Cunningham in his green truck. On certain occasions I drove him to the Hill or to his apartment. Duke Cunningham was a self-sufficient gentleman. He liked to drive himself.”
He said he believes Cunningham and Wilkes started off as decent men steered into making mistakes.
“I believe Duke Cunningham to be a good man who made stupid decisions,” he said. “He has been a supporter of me as an African-American businessman.”
Of Wilkes, he said, “He was a winer and a diner. He liked to take people to eat. If a young lady gets in the car, or he asks us to pick up a young lady, we don’t know who it is. We’re drivers.”
As for any prostitution occurring, he said, “It might have happened. I don’t know anything about it. And from driving Brent Wilkes, I question it happening.”
He said he continues to believe that Wilkes was a decent person until he got involved with Wade.
“Brent Wilkes has morals,” Baker said. “He crossed his morals getting involved with Mitch Wade. Mitch Wade had a bad spirit.”
Comments (19)
Agjobs wrote on April 11, 2007 11:38 AM:So let me get this straight. It's all Wade's fault and those girls were just somebody's neice and nice uncle Duke and uncle Mitch and uncle Wade were just showing them around while they were in town. And hey I am just a poor working guy who drives people where they want to go for $22 million until bad uncle Wade went and got indicted and cost me my contract.
Code word - brain, as in most people have one and think this is guy is full of crap.
voodoo wrote on April 11, 2007 11:46 AM:betcha dollars to donuts that this is also tied up with the DC madame Deborah Jeane Palfrey somehow.
The last line of the Hill article slays me. The Devil, Mitch Wade made 'em do it! Riiiiiiight.
security code: book
As in, 'book 'em, Dano!'
dqueue wrote on April 11, 2007 11:50 AM:He's an ex-con, so I wonder what dirt "they" have on him? How easy is it for Wilkes to put the squeeze on Baker to provide some positive spin?
Regardless of what he says about Wade, the entire pile of poo stinks to high heaven.
OxyCon wrote on April 11, 2007 11:55 AM:You know it's hard out here for a pimp (you ain't knowin)
Anonymous wrote on April 11, 2007 12:04 PM:When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain't knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain't knowin)
Given the state of the Civil Rights division at DOJ as well as others, I'd say that Mr. Baker's hope of any sort of case against this government are slim to none if he plays the racial discrimination card.
Geralyn Kidera wrote on April 11, 2007 12:20 PM:I can't wait for the discovery phase to begin. Wouldn't it be ironic if the real dirt comes out via this.
tomg802 wrote on April 11, 2007 12:21 PM:Sounds to me like someone who knows where all the bodies are, is putting a shot over the bow. I bet he gets a contract somewhere?
EH wrote on April 11, 2007 1:02 PM:He feels just like "one of the Rutgers girls."
LongTimeObserver wrote on April 11, 2007 1:08 PM:Boo f'ng hoo.
Was that a cave to lobbyist pressure or political pressure?
Not that there was a whole lotta diff in the Ambramoff era from whence the contract arose.
Glenn wrote on April 11, 2007 1:42 PM:Man, comparing himself to the Rutgers women? Talk about cheap capitalization. I can't believe he had the restraint to not describe this as a "high-tech lynching."
As for Duke Cunningham, given the sexual aspects of this story, the statement "Duke Cunningham was a self-sufficient gentleman" causes all sorts of unpleasant mental images to arise. Ew.
Bush LIPS sink ships. wrote on April 11, 2007 2:11 PM:Paging Don Imus...
ryan wrote on April 11, 2007 2:18 PM:Security Code: profit. As in profits run amok.
I don't wanna rush to judge the guy. I'm sure every limo company caters to rich white guys who get hookers. There's a nod and a wink, but I doubt he was any worse than any other limo company owner would have been.
Node of Evil wrote on April 11, 2007 2:22 PM:IIRC there were a number of issues with Shirlingtion Limo which should have raised eyebrows before they even got the contract. The fact that they got it in the first place is what's at issue here; he can complain about partisan politics all he wants, but if his initial claim to the contract is bogus then that's just tough luck.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on April 11, 2007 2:33 PM:Dude . . . I'm thinking lose the contract, pay restituation in the form of every dollar 'earned' in this illegal deal, pay fine equal to amount 'earned' and service time for fraud and other felonies committed is a more appropriate outcome.
psyopswatcher wrote on April 11, 2007 3:15 PM:Is this a contract GSA was in on? Time to bring Doan back or look over her Small Business and Equal Opportunity deals?
DHS has quotas to meet (% of contract dollars) as all fed agency do. If there's a case, time to fire up the Civil Rights division at DOJ. You know, the one they've been decimating with the purge and new hires.
SC: snake (no comment)
Oscar wrote on April 11, 2007 3:17 PM:How naive/crooked (probably the latter) is this guy!? The entire frickin story just screams out how Wilkes was Wade's mentor and taught him the art of the deal.
pre-amerikkkan wrote on April 11, 2007 5:54 PM:this is small potatoes, look at ALL the fed contracts, from treaty time (1850's) on and witness how extraction, grazing and timber have made certain people very rich and many native people very, very poor.
there is not enough money in the treasury to settle those claims.
wilkes and foggo, abramoff, scanlon, my head reels until i realize i can add any number of hundreds of names from 1850 on and they called us troglodytes. i'm beginning to be proud of that term.
as for the high priced pimp (the one comparing himself to a rutgers girl, the nerve.) "okay, make a living, even a shady one, but don't cry when you finally get caught."
get over it.
transparent mind wrote on April 12, 2007 3:57 AM:The guy's right, you know? These girls could have been House page's for all he knows.
Fat old guys in limos pick up hot chicks all the time. Daughters, granddaughters, nieces, 3rd cousins.
It happens.
Really.
SC-sudden: sudden change in cash flow
Anonymous wrote on April 19, 2007 8:41 PM:Has anyone at TPM actually read Wilkes' indictment? I have. The only time Shirlington is mentioned is where it says Wilkes paid Shirlington to drive Cunningham around DC.
Shirlington is not mentioned in connection with any prostitutes. In fact, the indictment describes in great detail a trip to Hawaii with Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Cunningham where Wilkes got prostitutes for himself AND Cunningham--in fact got a different woman the 2nd night for Cunningham.
So, I guess Wilkes knows how to get hookers by himself.
As far as Wade--well, I'd think he was a "bad spirit" too. He's the only one who EVER said Shirlington procured prostitutes. Based on HIS WORD alone (the word of someone who was busily trying to avoid prison time by minimizing his own involvement), there has been a Congressional investigation, mud-slinging by the "press," etc.
The result: Congress found that there was no wrongdoing in the contract award. Congressional staffers and DHS officials said the contract was being performed adequately.
Go work in transportation as a limo driver. Every time a female gets in the back, go ahead, ask her if she's a prostitute. See how well that works. Actually, to be fair, you better ask ALL your passengers, male and female, if they are prostitutes. Just in case.