evident back in 2006. a year of sleaze and corruption in congress, from 2005 to 2006, just ahead of the midterm elections, for republican congressman resigned on ethics scandals and criminal indictments. democrats portrayed the republican party as enmeshed in a culture of corruption. yet congressman joe cunningham, who resigned and she doesn t five after accepted more than $2 million in bribes and bribery, male frat, wire fraud, and tax of. asian congressman mark foley was accused of sending teenage boys sexually explicit ten messages. he denied the allegations at the time, but was never charged criminally. tom delay to violating campaign finance laws, and money laundering. delay was also connected to lobbyist abramoff pleaded guilty to