Posted on 05/10/2009 6:50:33 AM PDT by Libloather
Groups want ethics probe of Murtha, others
By Sean Lengell
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Four political watchdog groups that typically support Democratic causes want a congressional ethics panel to probe ties between three House Democrats and the defunct Washington lobbying firm, the PMA Group, which benefited from the lawmakers' help.
In a letter Thursday to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the groups Common Cause, Public Citizen, Democracy 21 and U.S. PIRG asked for the panel to investigate whether Reps. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana and James P. Moran of Virginia were influenced by campaign contributions and other financial benefits when they approved special pet projects, or earmarks, for clients of the PMA Group, in violation of House ethics rules.
Republicans had been asking for a formal investigation into the relationships between the Democratic lawmakers and PMA for some time. But with high-profile Democratic allies such as Common Cause now joining the fray, the pressure will mount on committee Chairman Zoe Lofgren and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrats, to act.
While the four groups said they have not taken a position as to whether House ethics rules were broken in the PMA matter, they explained that several published reports on the issue "have raised serious ethics questions about House members and that these questions require an investigation."
"We further believe that such an investigation is in the best interests of the House as an institution, the Representatives publicly involved in this matter and the American people," the letter states.
The three Democrats have received huge amounts of political donations from lobbyists and clients of PMA, a former defense lobbying firm whose Virginia office was raided by the FBI in November.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
All the usual suspects need to be investigated thoroughly and here’s only a partial list:
HARRY REID
NANCY PELOSI
CHRIS DODD
CHUCK SCHUMER
BARNEY FRANK
JOHN MURTHA
CHARLES RANGEL
RAHM EMANUEL
The American public need to be informed and they, too, must call for an investigation into the ethics of all lawmakers. Time To Vote Them ALL Out.
The Washington Post notes that Robert’s not the only Murtha doing government business............His father, John Murtha’s brother Robert Sr, runs another highly-successful lobbying group, KSA, that specializes in — wait for it — defense contracts from the Appropriations Committee.
There may be good reasons to occasionally award no-bid contracts for highly specialized work, but warehousing doesn’t fall into that category. Granting no-bid Pentagon contracts to a powerful Congressman’s nephew screams for an investigation, and a deeper look at the “culture of corruption” that seems to surround John Murtha and his allies on Capitol Hill.
COMMENTS There's so many crimes being committed here it's not even funny. Can you say government fraud, conspiracy, kickbacks, money laundering? Conspiracy counts might include mail fraud, electronic fraud, and accounting fraud.
L/E might consider:
(a) conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and evade US banking laws,
(b) international money laundering,
(c) conspiracy to commit money laundering, and,
(d) aiding and abetting the preparation of false federal/state income tax returns.
Authorities might examine the company's receipts to falsely verify bogus charitable contributions (kickbacks) and multiple conspiracies and transfers of funds as part of a money-laundering conspiracy.
Government audits might show off-the-books bank accounts that were accessed solely by insiders, and that government-funds were used in various illegal schemes that might have integrated:
(1) money laundering,
(2) tax evasion (stolen money is taxable),
(3) violations of US banking and currency laws,
(4) conspiracy to commit wire fraud,
(5) commercial bribery in various financial schemes,
(6) establishing secret offshore bank accounts outside the purview of the IRS and US banking laws,
(7) fraudulent and casual accounting practices,
(8) non-existent financial oversight,
(9) Having a hidden financial interest in companies faking business with Murtech,
(10) Putting phantom employees on the payroll (money laundering).
Trials! We must have trials! The public *must* know the all dirty truths!
Please elucidate your ideas re hobby airports. I have a bugaboo on the subject also.
Thanks for the ping, Red and posting this, Libloather.
Glad to see the Wash Times picked this up, don’t know how we missed this earlier or that someone didn’t post it.
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
This is a nice Mother’s Day present.
You are painting with a bit too broad of a brush. Get rid of just about all the House 'Rats and RINOs but keep the principled GOP conservatives.
I’m all for it! Better late than never! My cousin says that the Johnstown Airport is very lavish. It should be after all the money that was poured in! But it’s not practical. Flights can only arrive/depart in good weather, but since this is in the mountains, so.... She said that few people use it. She only uses it for connecting flights.
He also needs to apologize to ALL the Haditha Marines NOW, since they’ve been cleared! Call his office and put the heat on!
Dear Common Cause, Public Citizen, Democracy 21 and U.S. PIRG,
You have no chance but good luck.
A. Webb
Could abuse of power ever be considered?
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