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CREW RELEASES 2008 MOST EMBARRASSING RE-ELECTED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS (Murtha Again)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) ^ | 12-08-08 | Naomi Seligman

Posted on 12/08/2008 4:36:32 PM PST by smoothsailing

Published on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (http://www.citizensforethics.org)

CREW RELEASES 2008 MOST EMBARRASSING RE-ELECTED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

December 8, 2008

Contact: Naomi Seligman // 202.408.5565

8 Dec 2008 // Washington, D.C. – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its 2008 Most Embarrassing Re-Elected Members of Congress. The list incorporates those elected officials who have misused their position through illegal, unethical or just plain outrageous conduct.

Members are not ranked, but rather listed in alphabetical order. The list includes:

....snip....

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)

....snip....

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) is an 18th-term member of Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Rep. Murtha was re-elected in November 2008, defeating his opponent by a margin of 58% to 42%. Rep. Murtha chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Murtha’s ethics violations stem from abuse of his position on the subcommittee to benefit the lobbying firm of a former long-term staffer and from threatening to block earmarks of other members for political purposes. Rep. Murtha was included as a member to watch in CREW’s 2006, 2007 and 2008 reports on congressional corruption.

PMA Group

Paul Magliocchetti worked with Rep. Murtha as a senior staffer on the Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense for 10 years. After leaving the committee, Mr. Magliocchetti founded the PMA Group, which has become one of the most prominent Washington, D.C. defense lobbying firms. Since the second quarter of 2007 campaign cycle, the PMA Group and ten of the firm’s clients ranked in the top 20 contributors to Rep. Murtha, having made campaign contributions totaling $190,880. In turn, many of PMA’s clients have benefited significantly from Rep. Murtha’s earmarks.

Other Earmarks

Other companies receiving federal earmarks have donated to Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee and PAC. Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Conemaugh Health Systems, DRS Technologies, L. Robert Kimball, MTS Technologies, and Windber Research Institute donated to Rep. Murtha and were the recipients of earmarks in the FY 2008 Defense Appropriations bill.

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC)

CTC is a large non-profit that in 2006 received over $225 million in government grants. Congress has earmarked at least $226 million for CTC over the past four years. Since 2002, CTC’s employees and employees’ family members have donated over $126,000 to Rep. Murtha’s political committees and leadership PAC.

Critics of CTC have charged that earmarked federal funds have resulted in few new developments. In April of 2008, the FBI and the Pentagon Defense Criminal Investigation Service issued subpoenas seeking information regarding contracts awarded to Commonwealth Research Institute (CRI) and its parent company CTC. Investigators are seeking information about seven contracts, four of which were awarded to CTC over several weeks in May and June 2002 and worth up to $130 million. Investigators are also seeking information regarding a 2002 CRI deal worth $10 million and a 2006 no-bid contract worth up to $45 million.

Additionally, in December 2007, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) began an inquiry into why CTC has been considered a tax exempt charity.

ProLogic Earmarks

Rep. Murtha has also earmarked for ProLogic, Inc., a small company under federal investigation for allegedly diverting federal funds to develop software for commercial sale. Despite the federal probe investigating the abuse of taxpayer money, Rep. Murtha inserted a $2.4 million earmark for the company for fiscal year 2008.

Since 2002, executives and spouses of ProLogic have donated $42,900 to Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee, and $10,000 to Rep. Murtha’s PAC. Additionally, ProLogic’s PAC has donated $18,000 to both Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee and PAC. ProLogic is a PMA client.

Threat to Deny Spending Projects

On May 10, 2007, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) tried to strip a $23 million earmark from the intelligence authorization bill designated for the National Drug Intelligence Center (“NDIC”) and have the Department of Justice’s Inspector General audit the effectiveness of the center, located in Rep. Murtha’s district. Rep. Murtha approached Rep. Rogers on the House floor and stated, “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever.” Rep. Rogers replied, “This is not the way we do things here,” and, “is that supposed to make me afraid of you?” Rep. Murtha retorted, “That’s the way I do it.” Although Rep. Rogers declined to file a formal ethics complaint, he described Rep. Murtha’s actions as “cajoling, bullying, threatening intimidation and they crossed a line.”

Earlier in May of 2007, Rep. Murtha had threatened Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) for voting in favor of Rep. Rogers’ amendment to kill the NDIC in the intelligence committee markup. Rep. Murtha approached Rep. Tiahrt on the House floor and unleashed a fingerpointing tirade at the other lawmaker, during which he [Rep. Murtha] threatened to withdraw his support from a defense project associated with the Boeing company in Rep. Tiahrt’s district. When confronted, Rep. Tiahrt explained that he had not known the earmark had been inserted by Rep. Murtha.

2008 Election

Rep. Murtha faced a tough re-election campaign after he made derogatory comments about the residents of his district on two occasions. In October 2008, when speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the presidential election, Rep. Murtha remarked that then Sen. Barrack Obama faced opposition in his district because “Western Pennsylvania is a racist area.” Rep. Murtha revised his comments a week later, clarifying that just five to 10 years before the entire area was “redneck”.

SOURCE for above: CREW's Report Pages 10 & 11

....snip....

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today, “....these members of Congress stand out for their inability to conduct themselves in a manner that respects the office they hold. By highlighting those officials who have been an embarrassment to their constituents, the institution of Congress and in some cases, the United States of America, we fervently hope that they do more to better represent those who voted them into higher office.”


Source URL:
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/35847



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: murtha; murthawatch

1 posted on 12/08/2008 4:36:32 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: jazusamo; RedRover

Murtha Watch Ping!


2 posted on 12/08/2008 4:38:47 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

How did Murtha get reelected? The people of western Pennsylvania aren’t rednecks, they’re just plain stupid.


3 posted on 12/08/2008 4:39:28 PM PST by Juan Medén
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To: Juan Medén

“It turns out they’re not racists — they’re retards.”

Ann Coulter


4 posted on 12/08/2008 4:45:56 PM PST by demshateGod (the GOP is dead to me)
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To: smoothsailing
On October 17, 2008, Rep. Bachmann appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Mathews,” where she repeatedly accused Sen. Barack Obama of harboring anti-American views and associating with a terrorist.

Why does this make her an embarrassment?

5 posted on 12/08/2008 4:49:27 PM PST by Ingtar (For the first time in my adult life, I am NOT proud of America.)
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To: smoothsailing

Only two DemocRATS?

Would they have been embarassed if William Jefferson had been reelected last Saturday?


6 posted on 12/08/2008 4:51:20 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.)
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To: smoothsailing

And they left Kook-cinich off the list? Are they nuts or did they have too many people to put on the list?


7 posted on 12/08/2008 4:51:37 PM PST by laweeks
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To: smoothsailing; admin
Please ask ADMIN to put in correct URL!
8 posted on 12/08/2008 4:52:32 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Obama, Change America will die for.)
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To: Ingtar

CREW is desparate to embarrase Republicans?


9 posted on 12/08/2008 4:52:38 PM PST by YdontUleaveLibs (Reason is out to lunch. How may I help you?)
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To: smoothsailing; abigailsmybaby; ArmyTeach; Badeye; billmor; bmwcyle; brityank; ConorMacNessa; ...
Murtha makes CREW's list again, it shows just how corrupt he is.

Thanks for the ping, Smooth.

Murtha Watch Ping!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Code Pinkos

To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.

10 posted on 12/08/2008 5:09:18 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: smoothsailing

No Pelosi, Stark, McDermott?????????

Yeah, OK.


11 posted on 12/08/2008 5:32:31 PM PST by ScottinVA (Gloucester County, VA -- Standing for America! 63% for McCain-Palin on 4 Nov)
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To: smoothsailing

Unfortunately there are so many strong contenders on both sides of the isle


12 posted on 12/08/2008 5:34:36 PM PST by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: smoothsailing
It's gotta be a bogus list...

Lindsay Graham isn't on it.

13 posted on 12/08/2008 5:53:18 PM PST by PalmettoMason (Can't we all just get along? At least until I'm finished reloading?)
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To: Ingtar

ping


14 posted on 12/08/2008 6:23:25 PM PST by Glacier Honey
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To: smoothsailing
Here's a big part of the problem that is bolded below:

Rep. Murtha approached Rep. Rogers on the House floor and stated, “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever.” Rep. Rogers replied, “This is not the way we do things here,” and, “is that supposed to make me afraid of you?” Rep. Murtha retorted, “That’s the way I do it.” Although Rep. Rogers declined to file a formal ethics complaint, he described Rep. Murtha’s actions as “cajoling, bullying, threatening intimidation and they crossed a line.”

[At least the U.N. writes letter to terrorists to tell them to stop. If republicans don't formally call lying cheating people like Murtha on their heavy handed tatics, they are just enabeling them]

Earlier in May of 2007, Rep. Murtha had threatened Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) for voting in favor of Rep. Rogers’ amendment to kill the NDIC in the intelligence committee markup. Rep. Murtha approached Rep. Tiahrt on the House floor and unleashed a fingerpointing tirade at the other lawmaker, during which he [Rep. Murtha] threatened to withdraw his support from a defense project associated with the Boeing company in Rep. Tiahrt’s district. When confronted, Rep. Tiahrt explained that he had not known the earmark had been inserted by Rep. Murtha.

I guess if you are a republican and get caught calling a crooked democratic politician on unethical practices, you just kiss Murtha'a big white flabby butt?

They need to expose people like Murtha and let their constituents know why they don't get defense spending.

Why are republicans scared to death of Murtha and Barney Frank and the other scummy poofters in Congress?

15 posted on 12/08/2008 6:33:39 PM PST by Syncro
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To: jazusamo

I hate this jerk. I was looking for something on Ebay yesterday. Found one that I really liked but the seller was from PA so I refused to buy it. I’m boycotting PA!! LOL


16 posted on 12/08/2008 6:46:19 PM PST by abigailsmybaby (I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request.)
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To: Syncro
I guess if you are a republican and get caught calling a crooked democratic politician on unethical practices, you just kiss Murtha'a big white flabby butt? They need to expose people like Murtha and let their constituents know why they don't get defense spending. Why are republicans scared to death of Murtha and Barney Frank and the other scummy poofters in Congress?

Good points, Syncro. It has to be part of the reason Republicans havn't done too well at the polls lately.

17 posted on 12/08/2008 8:23:49 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: demshateGod
Did Coulter really say that?

There is some truth to it.

18 posted on 12/08/2008 8:29:13 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

Yeah, she said it in this article.

http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=282


19 posted on 12/09/2008 5:39:17 AM PST by demshateGod (the GOP is dead to me)
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