PMA’s founder, Paul Magliocchetti, is a former House Appropriations Committee aide who has a long-running relationship with Murtha, D-Pa., the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.And the fun doesn't end there (emphases added).
Murtha, who used to boast that his middle initial stands for “power,” carved out $38.1 million for PMA clients in the fiscal 2008 defense spending law, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Indiana Rep. Peter J. Visclosky , who serves on Murtha’s subcommittee and additionally is chairman of the subcommittee that allocates money for the Pentagon’s nuclear programs, earmarked $23.8 million for PMA clients in the fiscal 2008 defense spending bill.
No Overhead?[snip]
Curiously, in the last four election cycles, PMA’s political action committee reported expenses of only $18, according to federal campaign finance reports compiled by CQ MoneyLine.
It reported no payroll costs.
The $18 was for re-ordering checks and another bank fee.
Now that PMA has been the focus of news reports, several lawmakers have said they’ll give away some of their campaign money.
“My campaign has informed me that the PMA Group has made contributions to my re-election committee in past years. I have directed that all contributions ever received from the PMA Group be returned to them,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif., chairwoman of the House ethics committee. “I do so without making any comment to the veracity of the allegations against PMA Group.”
The inventory of PMA’s contributions and earmark benefactors includes a number of House members who have clout by association, because they are Murtha’s friends or his proteges in the Pennsylvania delegation — a group that congregates along the southeast edge of the House chamber in what’s been known for years as Murtha’s corner.But Murtha's greasy tentacles go way beyond PMA itself. A reliable source emails
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.
Rep. Michael E. Capuano , who is often only partially visible in the House chamber because he stands behind Murtha’s back row with his arms over the railing, has taken $54,000 in campaign contributions from PMA sources in the last eight years.
In the fiscal 2008 bill, he requested a successful $2 million earmark for Parametric Technology Corporation, a PMA-represented information systems company with offices near Capuano’s Boston-based district and in Murtha’s district in western Pennsylvania.
Capuano also secured $800,000 in that bill for another one of the lobbying firm’s clients.
If anyone really wants to follow the money they should look at Murtha's creation in Armstrong County. The Electro-Optics Center. I understand that Murtha has funneled over $250 Million of earmarks through that place. It goes back out to PMA clients. while a little stays there. It is basically a front organization for PMA and Murtha to hide earmarks to defense buddies.
Supposedly this is where most of the money goes and then kicked back to Murtha:
Tuesday 3 March 2009
Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club
5500 Schulz Circle
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6102
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Electro-Optics Center
We are proud to announce Congressman John Murtha as the Keynote Speaker along with other prominent guest speakers.
Please RSVP for the meeting by using the following link
http://www.electro-optics.org/psu/webform10.aspx
There is a $30 fee for this meeting
For questions, please contact Kathy Kovalcik
e-mail: eoa@eoc.psu.edu phone: 724-295-7016
Continental Breakfast @ 7am. Meeting starts at 7:45 am
More information and final agenda to follow in the near future.
Accommodations are available, with a block of rooms being held under "Group
Code PSU"
Courtyard by Marriott
14300 Crossing Place
Woodbridge,VA 22192
703-491-4525
Rooms are on a first come, first serve basis and cost is the responsibility of the attendee. Please note Block rate is available until 12 February 2009
We value our ongoing partnerships and look forward to future collaborations.
Hey PA-12--feel like taking a shower, yet?
