Free Republic

Magliocchetti sentenced for illegal campaign contributionsBy Chuck Neubauer The Washington Times 5:34 p.m., Friday, January 7, 2011 Former superlobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, once the master of getting defense earmarks for his clients from members of Congress, was sentenced Friday to 27 months in prison for making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions. U.S. District Court Judge T. S. Ellis III sentenced the 64-year-old Magliocchetti in federal court in Alexandria for devising what prosecutors called "one of the most extensive and long-running campaign finance schemes ever." "You made this choice for one reason: greed," said Judge Ellis, who also...

Violated U.S. campaign funding laws, recruited family members The Justice Department is seeking a maximum prison sentence of 57 months for superlobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, accusing him of "devising one of the largest criminal schemes in U.S. history to violate federal campaign finance laws," according to a sentencing memo filed last week in federal court.Magliocchetti, who pleaded guilty in September to making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations through "straw donors" to favored members of Congress, is seeking home confinement, probation and a $10,000 fine, saying he is physically and medically ill and a more lenient sentence would...

The founder and president of the PMA Group pled guilty Friday to making illegal campaign contributions and making false statements to a federal agency. Paul Magliocchetti offered the plea in federal court in Arlington, Va. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 17. The former lobbyist pleaded guilty to one count each of making false statements, making illegal conduit contributions and making illegal corporate contributions. The now-defunct PMA Group came under scrutiny in early 2009 from both federal authorities and House ethics committee investigators over campaign contributions made to a number of veteran defense appropriations, including the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.),...

  Former Murtha crony Paul Magliocchetti was indicted yesterday on 11 counts. The indictment was not unexpected and relates primarily to Magliocchetti’s rather hamhanded manuevers to evade campaign contribution limits by having family members, employees and friends make contributions for which they were paid back.The indictment certainly relates the PMA “pay to play” scheme, but it does not address the underlying possible crimes by members of Congress who secured earmarks for PMA clients in return for campaign contributions and other benefits. It is not known to what extent, if any, the Justice Department has sought a plea bargain with...

The founder of a once lucrative defense lobby shop was arrested on Thursday after being indicted on eight counts of making illegal campaign contributions to lawmakers. Government prosecutors allege that Paul Magliocchetti, who founded the now defunct PMA Group, orchestrated a scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions in an effort to enrich himself and his firm by increasing its influence and prestige in Washington. Magliocchetti has been indicted on 11 counts: four counts of making illegal campaign contributions in the name of someone else; four counts of making illegal campaign contributions from a corporation;...

Superlobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, the focus of a federal criminal investigation, held an ownership interest in three small, privately held companies that his lobbying firm had helped obtain millions of federal tax dollars in congressional earmarks. In effect, he was trying to profit twice from his firm's success in getting members of Congress to set aside, or earmark, tax money for his clients in annual appropriations bills by collecting hefty lobbying fees from the companies and, at the same time, hoping to make money by investing in their stock. ~snip~ While the OMB did not identify which member of Congress obtained...

A retired Florida couple would appear an unlikely source to have given $83,000 in campaign donations over a five-year period to members of Congress from all over the country. Both in their 80s, they lived in a $118,000 Daytona Beach house they didn't own; they each voted only twice since 1992; and they seemed to lack the financial means to make the contributions. Yet, both were listed as having given dozens of donations to lawmakers, nearly half of which went to members of the House Appropriations Committee - legislators who were especially important to their then-son-in-law, superlobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, who...

Ex-Pittsburgher in middle of earmark scandalProsecutors investigating Paul Magliocchetti's contributions through his lobbying firm, ties to congressmenSunday, April 05, 2009By Dennis B. Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteWASHINGTON -- Those who know him say Paul Magliocchetti cracked the code of the defense earmark: understand the system so well the people in charge turn to you for clarity. Described as bright, blunt and ambitious, Mr. Magliocchetti left a post as a staff member for the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee more than 20 years ago and set up shop as PMA Group, which became the premier lobbyist for defense firms seeking billions in federal dollars....

Star Lobbyist Closes Up Shop as Criminal Inquiry Heats Up By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CHARLIE SAVAGE Published: March 29, 2009 WASHINGTON — For most of the last three decades, the lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti might have been mistaken for an owner of the Alpine, a wood-paneled Italian restaurant across the Potomac River from Washington where he routinely presided over boisterous tables of lawmakers and their staff members. “Get me some oysters! Get me some steamed crabs! Get me a rack of lamb!” Mr. Magliocchetti would tell the cooks, strolling into the kitchen. “Every day a different thing,” the chef and...

A defense lobbyist and his family made $1.5 million in political contributions from 2000 through 2008 as the lobbyist’s now-embattled firm helped clients win billions of dollars in federal contracts. A sizable chunk of those campaign dollars went to the House members who control Pentagon spending.Paul Magliocchetti, founder of the PMA Group, and nine of his relatives — two children, his daughter-in-law, his current wife, his ex-wife and his ex-wife’s parents, sister and brother-in-law — poured contributions into the coffers of candidates, political action committees and national and state party committees, according to a CQ review of public documents.During...

Published on CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress (http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org) Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) is an 18th-term member of Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district.  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 and 2007 reports on congressional corruption.PMA GroupPaul Magliocchetti worked with...