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Murtha bill a boon to brother's firm
Allentown Morning Call ^ | 6/13/2005 | Ken Silverstein and Richard Simon

Posted on 06/13/2005 5:36:34 AM PDT by Happy Valley Dude

WASHINGTON | When Congress passed the $417 billion Pentagon spending bill last year, Rep. John P. Murtha, top Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, boasted about the money he secured to create jobs in his Pennsylvania district.

But the bill Murtha helped write also benefited at least 10 companies represented by a lobbying firm where his brother, Robert ''Kit'' Murtha is a senior partner, according to disclosure records, interviews and an analysis of the bill by the Los Angeles Times.

Clients of the lobbying firm KSA Consulting — whose top officials also include former congressional aide Carmen V. Scialabba, who worked for Rep. Murtha for 27 years — received a total of $20.8 million from the bill.

One of the clients, a small Arkansas maker of military vehicles, was awarded an appropriation of $1.7 million, triple its total sales for all of 2004. Several other clients received awards that repre-sented more than half of their annual sales from last year.

KSA directly lobbied the congressman's office on behalf of seven companies that received money from the bill, records and interviews show. Among those clients, a firm based in Maryland received one of the larger individual awards, $4.2 million.

(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 109th; congress; lobbyists; murtha

1 posted on 06/13/2005 5:36:34 AM PDT by Happy Valley Dude
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To: Happy Valley Dude

Yeah, but he's a Democrat, so this will be ignored, then forgotten.


2 posted on 06/13/2005 5:38:12 AM PDT by Guillermo (42% of suicide bombers in Iraq are Saudi and Bush continues to lick their boots)
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To: Guillermo
At least it was on the front page (top headline) of today's paper. You are right that it will likely be forgotten, but probably not because he is a Democrat. There are many lobbyists with close relatives in Congress in both parties.
3 posted on 06/13/2005 5:46:06 AM PDT by Happy Valley Dude
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To: Happy Valley Dude
"There are many lobbyists with close relatives in Congress in both parties."


Isn't FORMER Senator Daschle's wife a lobbyist?
4 posted on 06/13/2005 5:51:10 AM PDT by Preachin' (Georgia finally saw the light in 2000.)
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To: Preachin'

That's why we need term limits so badly!


5 posted on 06/13/2005 5:52:11 AM PDT by SPOTTEDOWL (Never let the liberals pull you down to their level)
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To: Guillermo
Yeah, but he's a Democrat, so this will be ignored, then forgotten.

Of course, if he was a Repbulican, we'd just say "But Democrats do it too!", and then it would be ignored, then forgotten. Its some system those guys have set up.

6 posted on 06/13/2005 5:55:01 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Wolfie

True, but the media would latch on to it, if it was a Demcorat.

It would be the top story for NBC/CBS/ABC and NY Times.


7 posted on 06/13/2005 5:59:30 AM PDT by Guillermo (42% of suicide bombers in Iraq are Saudi and Bush continues to lick their boots)
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To: Happy Valley Dude

Companies seek out lobbying firms that are close to the targeted public official, or those that can most effectively accomplish their agenda. Blood relatives are choice in this respect. This is an unfortunate by-product of our system. This is not illegal, and only borderline unethical.


8 posted on 06/13/2005 8:22:52 AM PDT by cubram
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To: Guillermo

Yes, that's true. Harry Reid did WORSE by writing legislation to help out his sons and other people in the state of Nevada .. and the media totally looked away .. although Rush had the story up on his website for probably a week.


9 posted on 06/13/2005 9:41:39 AM PDT by CyberAnt (President Bush: "America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth")
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To: Guillermo

"Yeah, but he's a Democrat, so this will be ignored, then forgotten."

Maybe not.


10 posted on 11/18/2005 4:54:30 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Happy Valley Dude

Maybe Shakespeare was wrong. Maybe the lobbyists should be first, then the lawyers.

;-)


11 posted on 11/18/2005 4:57:09 PM PST by savedbygrace
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To: Happy Valley Dude

ohn Murtha, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. Implicated in the Abscam sting, in which FBI agents impersonating Arab businessmen offered bribes to political figures; Murtha was cited as an unindicted co-conspirator


12 posted on 11/18/2005 5:33:50 PM PST by KeyLargo
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To: CyberAnt

bump


13 posted on 11/18/2005 6:24:49 PM PST by pittsburgh gop guy (Be not afraid...)
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To: SPOTTEDOWL

People here on FR will fight you on term limits.


14 posted on 11/18/2005 6:27:08 PM PST by cynicom
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To: pittsburgh gop guy

This is basically what Harry Reid did also for his 3 sons.


15 posted on 11/18/2005 7:50:58 PM PST by CyberAnt ( I believe Congressman Curt Weldon re Able Danger)
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