It was almost inevitable that, when news spread last week of Randy “Duke” Cunningham’s death at age 83, people chose to remember him not as a disgraced politician but as a war hero.

Cunningham was the first U.S. Navy air ace in Vietnam—a fearless fighter pilot who shot down five enemy planes. He even braved heavy fire to rescue his wingman, an act described in his second Silver Star citation as showing “complete disregard for his personal safety.”

But that was not all for which Cunningham would be recalled. He became one of the most corrupt Members of Congress in history, blatantly selling his votes and influence for money (as well as a rent-free yacht and a Rolls Royce) while on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

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