Hettena, Seth

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Hettena, Seth

PERSONAL:

Born in New York, NY; married; wife's name Anita; children: Ryan. Education: Johns Hopkins University, B.A.; Columbia University, M.S., 1994.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Diego, CA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Journalist and freelance writer. San Francisco Daily Journal, San Francisco, CA, reporter, 1993-94; former reporter for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA, and Quad-City Times, Davenport, IA; Associated Press, staff member in Detroit, MI, Sacramento, CA, and Baltimore, MD, beginning 1997, staff member in San Diego, CA, 2003-05, supervisory correspondent of the San Diego bureau, 2005-06; freelance writer, 2006—.

MEMBER:

Society of Professional Journalists (board member of the San Diego chapter).

WRITINGS:

Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, History's Most Corrupt Congressman, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

An experienced journalist who has worked for various newspapers and the Associated Press, Seth Hettena chose to write about gross political corruption for his first book, Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, History's Most Corrupt Congressman. Cunningham, who served eight terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and represented the author's district, is now serving time in prison. Hettena details Cunningham's story, beginning with the politician's service in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Cunningham gained considerable fame in 1972 when, as a pilot, he shot down five enemy planes and became the first ace since the Korean War. The first indication of Cunningham's hubris comes soon after that, when he shunned the Navy Cross and insisted instead that he receive the Medal of Honor, even when it was explained to him that those who receive the Medal of Honor have died for their country.

Although bitter about not being given the Medal of Honor, Cunningham takes advantage of his fame as a war hero and is subsequently elected to Congress. He proceeds to build a reputation as someone who is full of himself and often puts his foot in his mouth; he was also caught lying several times and was considered a bigot and homophobe. Ironically, Hettena reveals that Cunningham later admitted he was attracted to men. Despite his bad reputation, Cunningham wins a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he is soon tempted with money and other gifts from corrupt contractors. Two men in particular, Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, are awarded large contracts thanks to Cunningham, who is rewarded in return with gifts of expensive cars, boats, a large mansion, and free trips. "In 2003," reported Wall Street Journal writer Mark Miller, "he sold his San Diego home to Mr. Wade's limited liability company for 1.675 million dollars and used the proceeds to buy an even pricier house in Rancho Santa Fe. Mr. Wade immediately put the original house back on the market, where it languished for a year until he finally managed to unload it at a 700,000 dollar loss—a clear sign that the arrangement had been a sham." After being found guilty of corruption, Cunningham was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay over three-and-a-half million dollars in restitution.

Although Hettena "doesn't reach for the broader political ramifications" behind this one particular case of Washington corruption, according to a Publishers Weekly contributor, critics praised this detailed portrait of a congressman's downfall. A Kirkus Reviews writer called the book a "damning but well-rounded portrait," while Miller similarly described it as a "vivid portrait," noting that Feasting on the Spoils "does not say flattering things about us that we keep electing" corrupt politicians.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2007, review of Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, History's Most Corrupt Congressman.

Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2007, review of Feasting on the Spoils, p. 43.