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To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	3/5/2009 6:51:59 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

FBI Raids and Allegations of Fraud Are No Reason to Remove Earmarks, Democrats Conclude The Campaign Spot Jim Geraghty Reporting Remember that lobbying firm that the FBI raided? On page A7 of today's Washington Post, we learn: <<< The Senate approved $10 million in funding yesterday for clients of a now-disbanded lobbying firm [The PMA Group] that is under federal investigation for alleged fraud in political contributions to members of Congress, while approving an additional $16 million for pet projects such as a water-taxi service and manure management. Rejecting efforts to strip the items, the Senate voted to leave the earmarks in a $410 billion spending bill that will fund most federal agencies through September. The bipartisan votes represent the steep climb that reformers, including President Obama and House Republican leaders, face as they seek to curb earmarks. >>> Despite the headline "Democrats Stop Effort To Remove Earmarks," you notice that "bipartisan" reference in there. Thankfully, the Washington Post's Paul Kane provides the partisan breakdown of the vote: <<< On the PMA amendment, 37 Republicans and six Democrats opposed funding the firm's clients, while 48 Democrats, two independents and two Republicans supported the earmarks. >>> The independents are Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and we know which way they lean. So really, 50 out of 59 Democrat-aligned votes in the Senate voted to keep the earmarks of alleged fraudsters. campaignspot.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	3/5/2009 8:55:51 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Senate Dems Protect PMA Clients David Freddoso The Corner Like the House, the Senate has opted to protect the clients of the PMA lobbying firm, whose contributions to Democrats are the subject of a federal investigation. Just over an hour ago, by a vote of 43 to 52, the Senate rejected Sen. Tom Coburn's (R, Okla.) amendment to eliminate the PMA earmarks from the Omnibus bill. Coburn's statement explains the details: <<< “Instead of draining the swamp, Congress is protecting the polluters. The Senate could have removed 13 earmarks from this bill that are associated with the PMA Group, a K Street lobbying firm under investigation by the Justice Department over whether the firm made illegal campaign contributions to members of Congress who requested earmarks. Yet, the Senate decided to defend business as usual at the earmark favor factory. The American people want change now. They shouldn’t have to wait for further investigations, search warrants and possibly prosecutions to motivate us to restore the public’s trust in Congress." >>> Arlen Specter (Pa.) and George Voinovich (Ohio) were the only Republican to support PMA. The six Democrats to vote against the PMA earmarks were Evan Bayh (Ind.), Michael Bennett (Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) and Russ Feingold (Wis.). corner.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	5/29/2009 3:12:00 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Culture of Corruption, Part Seven The Campaign Spot Jim Geraghty Reporting Well, the investigation into the lobbying organization PMA group and its ties to certain lawmakers proceeds apace: <<< Federal law enforcement officials have subpoenaed the congressional and campaign offices of Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) to get information about a former defense lobby firm raided by the FBI, according to Visclosky. Certain Visclosky employees have also been sent grand jury subpoenas requesting documents related to the PMA Group, a lobby shop with strong ties to the Indiana lawmaker. Visclosky’s former chief of staff, Rich Kaelin, was a high-profile lobbyist at the firm that closed its doors at the end of March. >>> Having the FBI subpeona your offices makes any day a rough day. I'm sure former congressman William Jefferson will sending Visclosky a sympathy card in the near future. Interestingly, the lawmaker most closely associated with the PMA Group is... John Murtha. campaignspot.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	6/1/2009 7:48:39 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

John Murtha: The appearance of corruption doesn't appear to bother him much Betsy's Page One delightful aspect of John Murtha's old-fashioned attitude towards pork for his district is his totally unapologetic demeanor. Sure the organizations he's steered earmarks to are being investigated for corruption, but that doesn't stop him from touting the pork that he's brought home. <<< Most lawmakers in Murtha’s position would hire lawyers — as Visclosky has — or engage a PR specialist or mount an aggressive public defense, as Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel did when he asked for an ethics investigation into himself. But Murtha has chosen a different path — no lawyers, no public defense and an in-your-face defiance whenever he’s asked about the ethics issues. “[Murtha is] not really troubled about it, as others might be,” insisted one House source close to Murtha. “His theory is not to talk, so he’s not talking.” At least not when he can avoid it. While many members might find a scandal over earmarks an opportune time to steer clear of public ties with industry, Murtha went right ahead with his annual Showcase for Commerce in Johnstown, Pa., last week — an event underwritten by some of the same defense firms to whom he’s steered federal funds. >>> He doesn't have a worry about the Navy disbarring a company that he has had major dealings with for "alleged fraud." <<< When reporters covering the event asked Murtha about Kuchera’s disbarment, the Johnstown Tribune Democrat reported Murtha shot back: “What’s that got to do with me? What do you think? Do you think I oversee these companies? That’s the Defense Department’s job. That’s not my job. You guys write these stories — you don’t have a clue what this is all about.” The Kuchera brothers, Bill and Ron, and their employees have given more than $65,000 to Murtha’s reelection campaign and leadership political action committee, and Murtha held a major fundraiser at Bill Kuchera’s ranch last fall. At the same time, Murtha has secured nearly $15 million in earmarks for the company, and he helped the company win a missile contract that could be worth $100 million. When reporters asked Murtha on Friday whether he’d hired a defense attorney to deal with the PMA scandal, he snapped, “What kind of question is that?” And then he walked out. >>> And the deepening scandal about the lobbying firm PMA - not a worry. <<< The lobbying shop imploded earlier this year, following an FBI raid on its offices in November. Its founder, former Appropriations Committee aide Paul Magliocchetti, has moved to Florida and retired, while its other lobbyists have moved on to different firms. The Justice Department is reportedly looking into whether Magliocchetti used “straw donors” to steer hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to lawmakers who in turn pushed earmarks worth tens of millions for its clients. Visclosky said he would cooperate with the federal subpoenas “consistent with my constitutional obligations to Congress and my duties and responsibilities to my constituents.” But while Visclosky was a big recipient of PMA-related campaign cash, no one was more popular with the firm than Murtha. The Pennsylvania Democrat received $2.38 million in campaign contributions from PMA and its clients over the past 10 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group. During the same time period, Murtha secured millions in earmarks — more than $97 million in 2007-08 alone — to PMA’s clients. ....Instead, the towering former Marine remains unbowed and unapologetic, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently, “If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district.” >>> Lovely. And he even has the nerve to argue that his earmarks are just part of his personal stimulus package for Johnstown. <<< Throughout the show, Murtha extolled the value of years of projects he brought to the former steel and coal-mining community. He joked that the federal money he steers "has been the stimulus program for Johnstown for a long time." >>> But the old bull has some manners. He recently sent out thank-you notes to House Democrats, perhaps demonstrating his gratitude for their support in blocking any House investigation into his doings. How sweet. They sacrifice all their rhetoric about cleaning out the culture of corruption in politics and he sends them a thank-you. And maybe Nancy Pelosi got some flowers. <<< Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a close Murtha friend and political ally, has remained tightlipped about him as well. One Democrat says Pelosi “won’t even discuss” Murtha and “won’t even consider” any move to replace him as the head of the Defense Subcommittee. “[Pelosi] is totally committed to him,” said this lawmaker, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “She won’t even discuss him with anyone else. It’s a ‘no-go’ zone.” >>> Meanwhile, the House Republicans might consider sending him their own thank-you note for providing the poster face of their campaign against Democratic corruption in next year's election. betsyspage.blogspot.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	6/11/2009 12:55:38 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

PMA Group Earmark Express Barreling out of Control By Alexa Shrugged on PMA Group AIP Blog Last week, I covered Rep. Pete Visclosky's (D-Ind.) involvement with the controversial PMA Group and said earmarks are the gateway to corruption. This week, we get a clearer picture of the reaches of this growing scandal. In Friday's Wall Street Journal, columnist Kimberly Strassel paints a picture of the earmark train barreling out of control, endangering the party in power: <<< Picture a freight train roaring down the tracks. Picture House Speaker Nancy Pelosi positioning her party on the rails. Picture a growing stream of nervous souls diving for the weeds. Picture all this, and you've got a sense of the Democrats' earmark-corruption problem. This particular choo-choo has the name John Murtha emblazoned on the side, and with each chug is proving that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Republicans got tossed in 2006 in part for failing to police the earmarks at the center of the Jack Abramoff and other corruption scandals. Mrs. Pelosi is today leaving her members exposed to an earmark mess that might make Abramoff look junior varsity. >>> According to the Wall Street Journal, at least 100 members of Congress requested earmarks for clients of PMA Group so the potential of scope of the problem is huge and could hurt the party. Dissention is stirring in the ranks: <<< The result is growing dissent among Democrats, on full display this week. On one side is Mrs. Pelosi, who has demanded her party protect Mr. Murtha, a man hugely responsible for her ascent. On the other side are younger, first- and second-term Democrats who won their seats off GOP scandals and who have no interest in sacrificing them at the back-scratching altar. >>> Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has introduced a resolution for the ethics committee to investigate the PMA Group nine times and each time, he has gained a little more support from across the aisle, with the last vote supported by 29 Democrats. As Flake says, “This is a well-trodden path of denial that we Republicans already walked down. Democrats are now walking down that path. Philosophically, it's nuts.” There are some Democrats who agree and are so concerned about the issue they have introduced a bill making it illegal for members of Congress to request earmarks for companies they’ve received campaign contributions from. These actions have House Speaker Nancy Pelosi worried, and WSJ reports she has attempted to circle the wagons: <<< Mrs. Pelosi has relentlessly fought to tamp down this uprising. In April, she recruited the former top Democrat on the ethics committee, Howard Berman, to lecture members in a closed-door meeting as to why they should continue to oppose Mr. Flake. In May, as the House prepared for another vote, Mrs. Pelosi's assistant, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, sent an email to staffers warning "Don't Be a Flake" and making clear defections would not be viewed charitably. >>> Perhaps Madam Speaker should be spending more time fighting to end the abusive earmark practices that tripped up Republicans last time around and less time defending the most corrupt porkers. Otherwise, the earmark gravy train many members have been riding could derail causing mass casualties to her party. americanissuesproject.org

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	7/22/2009 3:12:29 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Probe of contractors linked to Murtha gets boost Pleads guilty to lying about ties By Ben Conery The Washington Times A federal investigation into defense contractors, including some with links to Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, appears to be gathering steam - and valuable help. Mark O'Hair, a Defense Department program manager, pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement on a federal disclosure form. He acknowledged lying about business ties he had to companies that received money from a military contract he oversaw. The plea agreement, reached in federal court in Florida, does not specify a penalty for O'Hair. But the plea deal does require O'Hair to cooperate with federal agents. It's the second guilty plea and pledge of cooperation that prosecutors have won recently in a swirl of charges of kickbacks and corruption surrounding several defense contractors with which Mr. Murtha has ties. Mr. Murtha has been listed as one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has accused him of inappropriately doling out earmarks to defense contractors that have contributed to his campaign. Last week, Richard Ianieri, the former president of the defense contractor Coherent Systems International, pleaded guilty to taking bribes from a subcontractor. Ianieri also has ties to Mr. Murtha. Robert C. "Kit" Murtha, the congressman's younger brother, was listed as a KSA Consulting lobbyist for Coherent from August 2004 to the end of 2006. During that time, KSA was paid at least $20,000 in lobbying fees by Coherent, according to the Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Act Database. Mr. Murtha and his brother have not been named in court documents or mentioned by prosecutors in either the O'Hair or the Ianieri case. "Congressman Murtha has said all along that if these individuals and companies broke the law, then they should be held accountable, period," spokesman Matt Mazonkey said. While the name "Murtha" does not appear in court documents in O'Hair's case, the name "Ianieri" does. O'Hair, who worked for the Air Force and oversaw contracts, supervised the awarding of an $8 million contract to Ianieri's company. But authorities say Ianieri's company, which had hired Robert Murtha, funneled some of that money to companies in which O'Hair had a financial interest, which was the basis for the charges against him. • Jerry Seper and Chuck Neubauer contributed to this report. washingtontimes.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	9/9/2009 12:19:44 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

The K Street Tax Cheat Who's Lobbying to Save Obamacare Michelle Malkin Tom Daschle is the human toe fungus of Washington — a persistent infection that may disappear from time to time, but always comes back with a vengeance. Despite abandoning his secretary of health and human services nomination in disgrace in February 2009, the K Street tax cheat who evaded IRS rules for years remains a top White House confidante and policy strategist. In fact, he's leading the drive to save Obamacare. He climbed up from under the bus back into the Oval Office and onto the sets of "Meet the Press" and "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" to offer his rescue plan. It's Daschle's idea to morph the unpopular "public option" into nonprofit "health care co-ops" that will almost certainly receive government funding, support and tax advantages over private insurers. Old colleagues on both sides of the Senate aisle are now promoting his alternative. Last week, he penned a Do It for Teddy Kennedy pep rally op-ed in The Wall Street Journal urging Democrats to go it alone and depend on the backroom Senate reconciliation process if necessary to get a deal done. The White House told The Washington Post that Daschle is simply a trusted "sounding board" and "friend" offering invaluable assistance as an experienced individual with a passion for health care reform. But Daschle is the dictionary definition of a self-interested Washington lobbyist and Beltway swamp creature. Married to heavy-hitting aviation lobbyist Linda Hall Daschle, the former U.S. senator from South Dakota has earned more than $5 million as a professional back-scratcher since leaving life as an entrenched incumbent. In the parlance of self-exempting Team Obama members, Daschle is merely a beneficent "resource," as he described himself to The New York Times, serving the Public Interest. The truth: Daschle is cashing in mightily on his role as "the architect of President Obama's health care plan" in the private sector — and evading lobbyist disclosure by reinventing himself as a highly paid "senior adviser" to D.C.-based law firm/influence-peddling shop Alston & Bird. Daschle represents mega-insurer UnitedHealth, which opposes the pure public option, and Alston & Bird represents a total of 31 clients from the health care sector. According to D.C. watchdog OpenSecrets.org, "Of the $2,730,000 reported income received from clients, nearly 50 percent of that, $1,070,000, comes from these 31 health care clients." Senate ethic rules forbade Daschle from officially lobbying for one year after he was defeated by GOP Sen. John Thune in 2004. Now, it's 2009. Daschle has raked in millions in speeches and consulting gigs for health care industry clients. He has unfettered access to the White House, which is stuffed to the gills with his former employees — including his former legislative affairs director Phil Schiliro and his former top Senate staffer for 20 years, Pete Rouse, who serves as an Obama senior adviser. Daschle quacks, talks and walks like any other federal registered lobbyist. But somehow, the rules don't apply. And Barack Obama, ultimate agent of Hope and Change, has no problem embracing his interest-conflicted, ethics-challenged dear "friend." Let's not forget: Daschle the Dodger lost his Senate seat after asserting a bogus property-tax homestead exemption claim on his $1.9 million D.C. mansion — which he listed as his primary residence despite voting in South Dakota and claiming it as his primary residence in order to run for re-election. Let's not forget: Daschle was aware as early as June 2008 that he might have to pay back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a private equity firm, but he failed to inform the Obama transition team until weeks after Obama designated him the HHS nominee in mid-December 2008. The donor and personal friend who provided the chauffeured services, Leo Hindery Jr., had also made Daschle chairman of the executive advisory board of InterMedia Advisors, a high-flying investment firm. Daschle collected a million-dollar salary from the arrangement in addition to his private chariot. Asked why he hadn't disclosed the cozy arrangement, Daschle "told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." It was a perfect expression of the culture of Beltway entitlement. And let's not forget: In February, Daschle groveled before his former Senate colleagues to explain away the back payments he owed as well as dubious charitable deductions worth an estimated $146,000, including interest and penalties. Team Obama downplayed it as a "tax glitch." When Daschle finally withdrew, Obama told the country he had "screwed up" and promised not to repeat the mistake again. But they never left each other. And now, Obama is trusting this man's judgment to salvage his government health care takeover. Remember this as the president delivers his joint address to Congress. Obama and Daschle are serving each other's interests. Not yours. Michelle Malkin is the author of the forthcoming "Culture of Corruption: Obama and his Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks & Cronies" (Regnery 2009). Her e-mail address is malkinblog@gmail.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM creators.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	12/19/2009 4:19:47 PM
From: Sully-	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 35834

Friday night news dump: Murtha cleared of Congressional ethics charges By: Mark Hemingway Commentary Staff Writer beltway-confidential 12/19/09 1:26 PM EST While everyone is understandably obsessed with whether or not the Senate will pass this monstrosity of a health care bill, Congress decided they wouldn't find a better time to announce this news: <<< Ethics Office Closes Inquiry Into Murtha, Dicks and Moran The Office of Congressional Ethics has closed its investigation into Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) and their relationships to the lobbying firm PMA Group, and the OCE advised against a formal House ethics investigation, the lawmakers’ offices said Friday. George Behan, Dicks’ chief of staff, said the OCE, which reviews potential rules violations and refers investigations to the House ethics committee, informed the Washington lawmaker on Dec. 2 that it had recommended the inquiry be dismissed. “In his case, there was never anything there,” Behan said. Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey and Moran spokeswoman Emily Blout confirmed their respective lawmakers received similar letters. “The Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics recommends that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct dismiss the above allegations,” the OCE report issued to Moran’s office states. The one-page document indicates the board made a unanimous vote, 6 to 0. >>> The PMA lobbying scandal is one of the biggest to hit Congress in decades, and Murtha is already a synonymous with political corruption in the public mind. If the Office of Congressional Ethics won't do anything about this scandal, it's safe to say the the Office of Congressional Ethics won't do anything about influence peddling, ever. washingtonexaminer.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	5/16/2010 10:16:03 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Are Democratic lobbyists invisible to the media? By: Timothy P. Carney Examiner Columnist 05/15/10 5:46 PM EDT Did you know Harry Reid’s former banking staffer is a lobbyist for Goldman Sachs? Did you know former Democratic Senator John Breaux is also a Goldman Sachs lobbyist and a Citigroup lobbyist? Not if you rely on the New York Times, which glaringly omitted these facts. The New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin wrote last week: <<< By one count the five banks together have mustered more than 130 registered lobbyists, including 40 former Senate staff members and one retired senator, Trent Lott. >>> The odd thing about that claim is that if you look at the filings that document Lott is a lobbyist for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, the name above Trent Lott’s is John Breaux, and next to Breaux’s name, it says “US Senator (18 yrs), US Representative (2 yrs).” But Sorkin didn’t even need to check the filings — the firm for which Lott works is called the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group. Read more at the Washington Examiner: washingtonexaminer.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	8/6/2010 7:22:30 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

PMA lobbying group founder indicted — which members of Congress will suffer? By: David Freddoso Online Opinion Editor 08/05/10 4:05 PM EDT From Capital Land: <<< Paul Magliocchetti, the founder and president of PMA Group has been indicted on charges that he made thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations in order to enhance his firm’s influence. >>> The PMA lobby shop has been a looming story for several years. An indictment at this moment could become another minor disaster for anyone involved who is already facing a tough congressional re-election. All the more so if Magliocchetti is given the opportunity to make a deal. A quick refresher: PMA was shut down last year and raided by the FBI in the wake of several reports that its employees and clients were allegedly trading contributions for hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks from certain members of Congress. This accusation has never been proven, and the Office of Congressional Ethics dropped its investigation last year. The biggest recipients of PMA-related cash were the deceased Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa. ($2.3 million), and Reps. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind. ($1.4 million) and Jim Moran, D-Va. ($1 million). But PMA cash flowed to both parties and both Houses — and especially to appropriators. Nearly anyone you can think of in Congress today got some of their money. We are now in an election year in which already-wounded members of Congress are going to be the most important names on PMA’s list of beneficiaries. When I scan the list of 200 or so members who took a significant ($50k or more) chunk of PMA cash, I don’t see any Republican incumbents who are currently likely to lose their seats. But there are some already-vulnerable Democrats near the top, and I’d count on their opponents making it an issue. To be precise: Sen. Harry Reid ($265,000) Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo. ($433,000) Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Tex. ($378,000) Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C. ($242,000) Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla. ($143,000) Rep. Chris Carney, D-Pa. ($112,000) Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. ($53,000) (At least three members of Congress have appeared in news reports as having given back PMA-tied cash after the scandal broke, but none of those on this list. We have contacted each of them to see if they have since returned any of the money.) Among non-incumbents, there’s one 2010-relevant GOP name very high up on the PMA list: Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. ($299,000), who is giving up his seat to run for Senate. Much farther down is Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. ($88,000), also running for Senate. On the Democratic side, Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., ($70,000) could receive some grief for it too — his opponent, former Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., does not appear on the list at all. Read more at the Washington Examiner: washingtonexaminer.com

To: Sully- who wrote (29640)	8/10/2010 9:35:56 AM
From: Sully-	1 Recommendation Respond to of 35834

Hillary Clinton, Deadbeat Candidate Jim Geraghty The Campaign Spot In John Callahan On April 20, 2008, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign booked a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania high school for a campaign event. More than two years later, her campaign still hasn't paid the bill, and it's becoming an issue in the local House race. <<< Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan promised Monday to ask Bill Clinton's staff for help in getting Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to pay a lingering $15,082 debt to city schools. The former president comes to Salisbury Township on Tuesday to raise money for Callahan, a fellow Democrat running for Congress. Callahan agreed to help the school district after it urged him to intervene in settling a bill that dates to the 2008 presidential primary and an event at Liberty High School. "He will ask the president's staff about how this situation can be rectified," Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall said. The Bethlehem Area School District asked for Callahan's help four days ago in a memo released to reporters Monday by the campaign of Republican U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, Callahan's foe. Independent Jake Towne also is in the 15th District race to represent the Lehigh Valley on Capitol Hill. >>> .