Federal prosecutors designated him an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam investigation 26 years ago.
I was reminded of it after Murtha became a candidate for majority leader, not by a Republican hit man but a Democratic former colleague in the House.
In a long political career, Murtha has made bitter enemies inside his party who are alarmed by his new stature.
In 1980, the FBI named him as one of eight members of Congress videotaped being offered bribes by a phony Arab sheik.
The other seven targets took cash and were convicted in federal court.
The videotape showed Murtha declining to take cash but expressing interest in further negotiations, while bragging about his political influence.
Murtha testified against the popular Rep. Frank Thompson, which created lifelong enemies in the Democratic cloakroom.
The House Ethics Committee exonerated Murtha of misconduct charges by a largely party-line vote, after which the committee's special counsel resigned in protest."
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak22.html
After reading that article, Murtha might want to hire food tasters and someone to start his car. His fellow rats don't like lightening rods like him that could damage their future elections across the nation.