A former U.S. Congressman has been sentenced to a long prison term for taking more than $2 million in bribes to help defense firms win government contracts.
Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, resigned from Congress in November after pleading guilty to bribery and tax evasion.
A judge in California Friday sentenced him to eight years and four months in prison. The judge also ordered him to pay $1.8-million in restitution for back taxes.
Prosecutors said he deserved the maximum 10 years for abusing the public trust. But his lawyers called for a lighter sentence, citing his decorated military service during the Vietnam War.
Cunningham accepted $2.4 million in bribes that included cash and luxury goods.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.