U.S. federal prosecutors has recommended that former Republican congressman Randall "Duke" Cunningham serve the maximum 10 years in prison for his "unparalleled corruption" activities, a report said Saturday.

They also recommended that Cunningham, who resigned in November after pleading guilty to bribery and tax evasion, be fined 1.56 million U>S. dollars and forfeit some 1.8 million dollars in bribe money and items from four defense contractors, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

In a document released Friday, the prosecutors accuse Cunningham of arranging and overseeing a "lengthy and widespread bribery" scheme and even providing the co-conspirators with a "bribe menu" detailing how much money he required to provide a certain dollar amount in federal contracts.

Cunningham, 63, a Vietnam War hero and conservative Republican who was in his eighth term when he resigned, is to be sentenced on March 3.

The prosecutors' document portrays Cunningham as aggressively demanding a total of 2.4 million dollars in bribes from defense contractors in exchange for using his position on congressional committees to help them.

Meanwhile, Cunningham's attorney K. Lee Blalack said that the punishment recommended by the prosecutors would likely be a death sentence for a man of Cunningham's age and medical condition.

The former congressman, who represented California's 50th congressional district in San Diego in the House of Representatives, has undergone surgery for prostate cancer.

"Duke devoted most of his life to serving this nation honorably in times of war and peace," Blalack said. "If such a man doesn't deserve mercy, no one does."

Blalack has collected letters from former Navy pilots, San Diego religious leaders and singer Peter Yarrow of the famous folk group Peter, Paul and Mary attesting to Cunningham's good character.

Yarrow wrote in his letter that he and Cunningham are "polar opposites politically" but joined together in issues involving children's health.

Source: Xinhua