Overview

• Cunningham died Wednesday in a Little Rock hospital at 83 from an illness that was not disclosed, according to multiple outlets.
• A former F-4 Phantom pilot, he became the first U.S. ace of the Vietnam War with five MiG-21 kills and received the Navy Cross after being shot down and rescued in 1972.
• Elected in 1990, he served eight terms representing the San Diego area and rose to influential roles over defense spending, including chairing a powerful appropriations subcommittee.
• He pleaded guilty in 2005 to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes in cash and luxury goods, resigned his seat, served more than seven years in federal prison, and was linked to a notorious “bribe menu” that helped spur a temporary earmark ban.
• President Donald Trump granted him a pardon in January 2021; he later lived near Little Rock and no service details have been announced.