To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify me.
Posted on 10/22/2009 7:09:08 PM PDT by jazusamo
When software firm MobilVox wanted to break into the lucrative world of defense contracting, it pursued an unmistakable strategy: It expanded operations from its Northern Virginia base in Rep. James P. Moran's congressional district to the southwestern Pennsylvania district of Rep. John P. Murtha.
Working with two of the most powerful members of a House subcommittee that controls Pentagon spending, the company also hired lobbying firms that employed former top aides of both the Democratic lawmakers and Mr. Murtha's brother. Company executives and their lobbyists donated thousands of dollars to the two congressmen.
Soon, money flowed the other way.
Between 2003 and 2009, Mr. Murtha and Mr. Moran helped deliver $12 million to MobilVox in earmarks - money that is set aside by lawmakers for pet projects in the government's annual spending bills. The latest House defense spending bill introduced and pushed through by Mr. Murtha includes an additional $2 million earmark for MobilVox requested by Mr. Moran. The bill is currently pending in conference committee.
MobilVox, the two lawmakers and the lobbyists hired by the company insist they followed all congressional rules and campaign fundraising laws, and that all earmark decisions were made on their merit. None has been accused of any wrongdoing.
But MobilVox's success fits a pattern of doing business in Washington that ethics watchdogs deride as a "pay-to-play" system - one that became infamous during Republican years and continues to operate under a Democratic leadership that had promised to change a "culture of corruption" in Washington.
Mr. Moran's and Mr. Murtha's relationship with MobilVox "raises red flags. It is not subtle. It looks bad," said Joel Hefley, a retired Republican congressman from Colorado who chaired the House ethics committee when that panel admonished then-Majority leader Tom DeLay for ethical lapses earlier this decade.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
And how much money are these scum going to make? But don’t you worry you voters in Pa and Va. These paragons of virtue will be sure you get pennies while they pocket millions.
Just how stupid and/or greedy are the people in Pa. and Va.?
Lots of money to people who agree to locate in Johnstown.
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify me.
Yep, millions in earmarks to them and hundreds of thousands to Murtha, he says that’s how business should be done.
This ‘most ethical administration and congress’ are a tragic joke and we deserve their thievery and tyranny if we don't fire all of them.
Moran had conflict of interest problems way back when he was on the Alexandria City Council in the 80’s.
I’m just livin’ for the day somebody takes this puke to the woodshed.
Amen! The day it happens we’re having a party with lots of cheering. :)
And maybe a beer or two!
You bet we will!
LOL! All of the above and probably more!
I was wondering if you'd show up, thought maybe you'd gone on vacation or something.
This guy dug into this pretty well. I may have heard of this MobilVox but I guess I never paid much attention to it, sounds like they've done well by these two crooks and the crooks have done well by them.
It’s quite an article, I e-mailed it along to Bill Russell.
Mrs. Smooth and I were watching the Angels-Yankees playoff game and then I was catching up on the news; otherwise I would have seen this sooner. It’s another great example of the “Murtha Method”.
Murtha and Moran, those two deserve each other, hopefully they’ll get to share the same room at the Greybar Hilton! HA! ;-)
That'd make our day. They'd have lots of time to tell each other lies and try to convince each other what they did was on the up and up. :-)
Gonna head for the barn, talk atcha tomorrow brother.
G’Night!
The press corps is abuzz over rumors that Congressman Murtha has his eye on a post in Obama’s cabinet. Following close on the heels of NAMBLA inspired Kevin Jennings’ elevation to “Safe Schools Czar”, a veteran pundit pronounced on condition of anonymity that even a man of Congressman Murtha’s venality might seem a “pedestrian” choice for the coveted position of Ethics Czar. But sources close to the White House say that the President is weighing this position carefully against the possible posting of the Pennsylvania Democrat to “Airport Czar”.
Disgusting.
“I never used Jack … If asked I would say I am Jack’s brother. I never said I could get you this because of Jack.”
— Robert “Kit” Murtha, brother of Rep. John Murtha and former lobbyist for MobilVox, describing his time as a lobbyist. Kit Murtha said he would tell clients that “I don’t know if I can do anything. Jack can be kind of unreasonable.”
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/23/statements-mobilvox-participants/#
LOL!!!
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