Murtha's Earmark Troubles Spilling Over Into The Halls Of Congress

Paul Kanjorski took offense to criticism over the money he obtained for companies owned, operated, or employing members of his family. He never fully understood the contempt of the public or disdain for such a blatant distrust for the public's money. I believe had he owned up to the situation his electoral challenges would be a lot less from any contender.

Let's move onto John Murtha. Forget we are all rednecks, well the people who live in his district anyway. There is an earmark scandal breaking(click on link for entire article) over a lobbyist firm linked to Murtha. PMA, the firm with ties to Murtha, secured earmarks from nearly one-fourth of Congress.

PMA’s offices have been raided, and the firm closed its political action committee last week amid reports that the FBI is investigating possibly illegal campaign contributions to Murtha and other lawmakers.

No matter what the outcome of the federal investigation, PMA’s earmark success illustrates how a well-connected lobbying firm operates on Capitol Hill. And earmark accountability rules imposed by the Democrats in 2007 make it possible to see how extensively PMA worked the Hill for its clients.In the spending bill managed by Murtha, the fiscal 2008 Defense appropriation, 104 House members got earmarks for projects sought by PMA clients, according to Congressional Quarterly’s analysis of a database constructed by Ashdown’s group. From CQPolitics:

Those House members, plus a handful of senators, combined to route nearly $300 million in public money to clients of PMA through that one law (PL 110-116).

And when the lawmakers were in need — as they all are to finance their campaigns — PMA came through for them.

According to CQ MoneyLine, the same House members who took responsibility for PMA’s earmarks in that spending bill have, since 2001, accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign contributions from PMA’s political action committee and employees of the firm.

PMA and its employees have not given campaign money to the top three House Republican leaders, John A. Boehner of Ohio, Eric Cantor of Virginia and Mike Pence of Indiana.

Whyd did I start this article off about Paul Kanjorski? Here's what the Democrats in Pennsylvania did according to the report.

Among the top 20 recipients of PMA campaign dollars since 2001 are Pennsylvania Democrats Mike Doyle ($69,400), Tim Holden ($57,275), Paul Kanjorski ($37,150) and Chris Carney ($38,500) — even though Carney was first elected in 2006.

In the PMA donation top 30 are Pennsylvania Reps. Patrick J. Murphy ($29,250), Allyson Y. Schwartz ($25,000) and Jason Altmire ($24,500). Schwartz was first elected in 2004, and Altmire and Murphy first won their seats in 2006.

Those Pennsylvanians combined for $17.3 million in PMA earmarks in the single fiscal 2008 bill shepherded by Murtha.

So much for Barack Obama's pledge concerning lobbyists. His work is cut out for him to get his flock back inside the fence.