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C.R.E.W.: Murtha 'Most Corrupt'
Newsmax ^ | 11-13-06 | Newsmax Staff

Posted on 11/13/2006 4:48:44 PM PST by xtinct

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) questioned soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., commitment to eradicating corruption with her endorsement of one of the most unethical members in Congress, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., to be majority meader of the House of Representatives.

Murtha was listed in CREW's report, "Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch)." As reported in the study and by the news media, Murtha has been involved in a number of pay-to-play schemes involving former staffers and his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha.

Eight incumbents in CREW's report lost their races because of ethics issues.

"Future House Speaker Pelosi's endorsement of Rep. Murtha, one of the most unethical members of Congress, shows that she may have prioritized ethics reform merely to win votes with no real commitment to changing the culture of corruption," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said Monday. "How can Americans believe that the Democrats will return integrity to the House when future Speaker Pelosi has endorsed an ethically-challenged member for a leadership position? Rep. Murtha is the wrong choice for this job."

Not only is Murtha beset by ethics issues, the New York Times reported on Oct. 2 that he has consistently opposed ethics and earmark reform. Sloan continued, "Rep. Murtha's opposition to ethics reform does not bode well for future Speaker Pelosi's promise to enact ethics legislation in the first 100 hours of the new Congress."

CREW's report can be found at Beyond Delay


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abscam; corruption; cultureofcorruption; kanjorski; murtha; paulkanjorski; pelosi; polosi; senate
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To: xtinct

Man, they sure turned on him fast! But I am sure they will still believe everything this ethical black hole has to say about the war in Iraq.

So much for Nanny's "most ethical congress ever".


41 posted on 11/13/2006 6:02:19 PM PST by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: Yo-Yo

Yep. They're making noise now so that they can appear "nonpartisan". I don't buy it, this is a nasty bunch. Note a certain Mr. Reid is not on this list but they manage to get the GOP leadership on there, don't they?


42 posted on 11/13/2006 6:04:27 PM PST by AmishDude (Libertarians didn't lose it for us. They're losers who work against what they claim to want.)
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To: ChurtleDawg

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.


43 posted on 11/13/2006 6:04:39 PM PST by GOPJ (The MSM 's so busy kissing democrat butt they can't see straight - come up for air guys.)
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To: AmishDude

Neither will you find Ted *hic* Kennedy.


44 posted on 11/13/2006 6:05:31 PM PST by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
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To: Cobra64

There are a lot. I just did a wiki search - it seems to be laid out pretty well there, but just google it - also, rush's website has some of his commentary on it as well.


45 posted on 11/13/2006 6:06:28 PM PST by The Worthless Miracle (I think Jamie Dupree is annoying.)
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To: xtinct

"Most ethical House ever": Murtha (Abscam) majority leader and Hastings (impeached, convicted and removed federal judge) chair of the Intelligence Committee. Sounds about right to me....


46 posted on 11/13/2006 6:12:51 PM PST by clintonh8r
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To: caisson71

Murtha won reelection. Obvoiusly, his constituents accept his corruptness. That should be good enough for the majority of voting America.

It's not good enough for me. The dummies who did vote for him may deserve that crooked jerk. Other Americans DO NOT.


47 posted on 11/13/2006 6:14:08 PM PST by hdstmf
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To: The Worthless Miracle

Thanks. I did Google it. It appears that Murtha skated. He was within a hair's breadth of accepting the bribe, but never did.


48 posted on 11/13/2006 6:19:31 PM PST by Cobra64 (Why is the War on Terror being managed by the DEFENSE Department?)
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To: ChurtleDawg

I'm starting to like CREW more and more each day...


49 posted on 11/13/2006 6:35:44 PM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: xtinct

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1738006/posts
Previous post.


50 posted on 11/13/2006 6:37:44 PM PST by em2vn
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To: xtinct

NO MEDIA BIAS!!! /sarcasm



Murky Jack Murtha
By David Holman
Published 2/2/2006

American Spectator

snip



Since Rep. John Murtha made his splash in November with his call for an American troop withdrawal from Iraq, there have been no stories about Robert C. "Kit" Murtha in the Post. In fact, the Post has never mentioned Kit Murtha. A quick Lexis Nexis search turns up only a dozen or so mentions of "Kit" Murtha, Robert C. Murtha, or Robert Murtha in the last 15 years. Who is "Kit" Murtha?

He's John Murtha's brother -- a Washington lobbyist whose firm reeled in more than $20 million for its defense contractor clients in the 2004 Defense appropriations bill. And the Pennsylvania congressman is the ranking Democrat on the Defense appropriations subcommittee, which he also chaired for six years before Democrats lost the House in 1994.

It's a cozy relationship the likes of which are garnering heavy attention these days in Washington. Roy Blunt's family connections to K Street have received extensive coverage, as have Harry Reid's. Yet despite a front page story in the Los Angeles Times last June exposing Kit Murtha's firm's enormous success in steering defense contracts to its clients, other newspapers have been mostly silent: the Times has yet to follow up, and Murtha's lobbying ties have earned coverage by Roll Call and only single mentions in the Village Voice, Investor's Business Daily, and the Boston Globe just this week.

If Murtha were a powerful Republican legislator, the media would probably be all over this story. A former aide from John Murtha's office, Carmen V. Scialabba, is a top official at KSA Consulting, where Kit Murtha is a senior partner. KSA has directly lobbied Murtha's office on behalf of defense clients that directly benefited from the 2004 Defense bill. Murtha's subcommittee staff helps write Defense appropriations bills and oversees the lucrative earmark requests forwarded by Democrats. The contracts for KSA clients in the bill were entirely earmarks, the L.A. Times found. The Times also reported that most of KSA's defense clients hired the firm only after Kit Murtha became a senior partner in 2002.

The Hill reported in October that John Murtha is the top House recipient of campaign contributions from the defense industry for the past three years. As of the October 31, 2005 Federal Election Commission report, Murtha had received over $200,000 from defense firms in the 2006 election cycle, surpassing the next highest recipient by over $60,000.

Kit Murtha has been lobbying for defense firms since at least 1986, when he became Westinghouse's chief lobbyist in Harrisburg. In 1994, National Journal reported, Westinghouse made Kit Murtha its director of state and local government affairs, in which role he would also lobby the Pennsylvania congressional delegation in Washington. At that time, John Murtha chaired the defense appropriations subcommittee.


More...


http://tinyurl.com/ygakzf


51 posted on 11/13/2006 8:08:50 PM PST by kcvl
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To: xtinct

KSA CONSULTING says:


Kit has worked closely with Governor Rendell and many of the State Secretaries including the Secretary of Labor and Industry. Kit also has a good working relationship with the leaders of the Pennsylvania State Senate (Bob Jubelirer and Robert Mellow) and the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives (John Perzel and Bill DeWeese). Shortly after joining KSA, Kit secured a $1.5M state grant for a new building in Indiana, Pa. Kit also has a worked with US Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Rick Santorum. Kit has an expertise and over 30 years of experience in working directly with the elected Members of the Statehouse and Congress especially in Pennsylvania. Kit is well respected across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and understands the needs of elected officials as balanced against the wants of KSA’s clients.


http://tinyurl.com/yzqmlo



******



KSA Consulting

In 2002, Kit Murtha was hired by KSA Consulting, a firm that lobbies the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on behalf of defense contractors. Mr. Murtha joined the firm at the invitation of top KSA official Carmen Scialabba, who had worked for Rep. Murtha on the House Appropriations Committee for 27 years.

In 2004, Congress passed a $417 billion defense appropriations bill that went through Rep. Murtha’s subcommittee. The bill benefitted at least 10 companies represented by KSA and KSA directly lobbied Rep. Murtha’s office on behalf of seven of those companies, which received a total $20.8 million in earmarks.

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. In the current campaign cycle, the PMA Group and 12 of the firm’s clients rank in the top 20 contributors to Rep. Murtha, having made campaign contributions totaling $274,649. In turn, many of PMA’s clients have benefited significantly from Rep. Murtha’s earmarks. In the 2006 Defense appropriations bill, PMA clients received at least 60 earmarks, totaling $95.1 million.

House ethics rules prohibit members from taking any official actions for the prospect of personal gain for themselves or anyone else. In addition, Rule XXIII of the House Ethics Manual requires all members of the House to conduct themselves “at all times in a manner that reflects creditably on the House.” By earmarking funds for companies represented by Kit Murtha and Paul Magliocchetti, Rep. Murtha has violated House rules.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT ON REP. JOHN MURTHA (D-PA) >>


http://tinyurl.com/ygncry


52 posted on 11/13/2006 8:13:28 PM PST by kcvl
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To: xtinct

by John Fund


Rep. Murtha is the ranking Democratic member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and for the past three years has been the House's top recipient of defense industry cash . Therefore, few in Washington are surprised that his lobbyist brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, is an enormously successful "earmark specialist" for the Beltway firm KSA Consulting. In recent years, Kit Murtha has brought in a mother lode of earmarks for or at least 16 defense manufacturers with business before the Appropriations Committee.

Last year the Los Angeles Times reported that "most of KSA's defense contractor clients hired the firm in hopes of securing funding from Rep. Murtha's subcommittee, according to lobbying records and interviews. And most retained the firm after Kit Murtha became a senior partner in 2002." Kit Murtha told the Times that he saw Rep. Murtha only infrequently but said the congressman knew he was a KSA lobbyist. "I don't think that influences him," Kit said of his brother. "I certainly would hope not."


53 posted on 11/13/2006 8:15:33 PM PST by kcvl
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To: The Worthless Miracle

Rep. Murtha and his staff declined to answer questions for this report. In public statements, the congressman has said money he inserted into the defense bill has helped make his district a center for national defense programs and has benefited the local economy.

Murtha is the latest lawmaker to face questions about lobbying activities by family members. Political leaders from both parties have drawn criticism over similar ties to special interest groups.

The appropriations to KSA clients were made through a series of itemized awards attached to the massive Pentagon budget bill. The awards are called "earmarks" and must be sponsored by at least one member of Congress.

Requests for defense earmarks from House Democrats are sent to Rep. Murtha's subcommittee staff, which vets the submissions and decides which ones should be included in the final defense budget.

The congressman's powerful role as the ranking minority member on the subcommittee makes him a natural target of lobbying efforts by defense contractors. Most of KSA's approximately two dozen clients are small- and medium-sized defense firms, records show.

Earmarks in appropriation bills routinely list only an amount of money awarded and a description of the project to be funded -- without disclosing the name of the recipient firm.


snip


Ken Stalder, a former Lockheed Martin executive and KSA's founder, chief executive and lead lobbyist, downplayed Kit Murtha's role at the firm. He said Murtha focused on lobbying at the state level in Pennsylvania, and although he had occasionally visited Senate offices in Washington "to give informational briefings," Kit Murtha had never lobbied his brother or any other House members.


snip


Most of KSA's defense contractor clients hired the firm in hopes of securing funding from Rep. Murtha's subcommittee, according to lobbying records and interviews. And most retained the firm after Kit Murtha became a senior partner in 2002.

Kit Murtha said he saw the congressman infrequently but acknowledged that his brother knew he worked for KSA.


Between 1989 and 2004, defense companies donated $1.5 million to Murtha's political campaigns, according to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics.


Kit Murtha's first KSA client was AEPTEC Microsystems Inc., a wireless networking company based in Maryland. It was seeking a grant from the state of Pennsylvania to fund construction of a new business complex in Rep. Murtha's district.

The lobbyist's client also was a supporter of the lobbyist's brother. Executives of the firm or its parent company donated more than $12,000 to Rep. Murtha's 2002 reelection campaign, records show.

Kit Murtha successfully lobbied the state for a $1.5-million grant to build the complex, according to his biography on the KSA website.


Rep. Murtha took credit for "introducing AEPTEC to the opportunities" in Pennsylvania, according to a news release issued by his office in April 2004. Several of the congressman's staffers attended groundbreaking ceremonies for construction of the business complex and Murtha, in the news release, called AEPTEC "a great example of the way we're reinventing the region's economy."

In June, two months after the groundbreaking, Rep. Murtha's subcommittee approved the $4.2-million appropriation for an AEPTEC wireless network that supported the Aegis cruiser program.

Stalder said he lobbied Rep. Murtha's office on behalf of AEPTEC.

The company, with sales last year of $22.1 million, paid KSA $20,000 during the first half of 2004 to lobby for the appropriation.


MORE...


http://tinyurl.com/y9bcrk




Other KSA clients that also gained earmark awards in the 2005 defense bill included:

* Gensym Corp., based in Massachusetts, received $1.7 million for a battlefield planning tool. Stalder said he lobbied Murtha's office on behalf of the firm. Its 2004 sales were $17.6 million.

* Applied Technology, based in Johnstown and with 2004 sales of $110,000, is a subcontractor on Gensym's battlefield planning tool contract and will receive a share of funding from the company's $1.7-million award, Stalder said. He said he did not know how much money the firm would receive. Stalder said he lobbied Murtha's office on the company's behalf.

* Applied Ordnance Technology Inc., a firm based in Maryland with 2004 sales of $13.4 million, received $3.4 million for the Advanced XLR medium caliber gun demonstrator. KSA, which lobbied Murtha's office for the appropriation, received $20,000 from the company during the first half of 2004.

* ChemImage Corp. of Pittsburgh, with 2004 sales of $4.7 million, landed an appropriation of $3.5 million for "chemical imaging for food and water safety." ChemImage paid KSA $20,000 through the first half of 2004. Stalder said he did not lobby Murtha's office on the request.

* Mountaintop Technologies Inc., based in Johnstown, received $1 million for an aviation ground navigation system. Stalder said KSA advised Mountaintop on developing a legislative strategy for lobbying but did not seek the earmark funds. Lobbying disclosure records show Mountaintop retained a second lobbying firm to press for the appropriation.


54 posted on 11/13/2006 8:23:05 PM PST by kcvl
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To: Grampa Dave

I can't tell if this was a warning shot to Nancy or Murtha

But I do know one thing .. CREW would not have done this unless they were told to


55 posted on 11/13/2006 8:49:28 PM PST by Mo1 (Thank You Mr & Mrs "I'm gonna teach you a lesson" Voter ... you just screwed us on so many levels)
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To: Bahbah; Grampa Dave; Mo1
Has Nancy been giving out signals that she is not going to be controlled by Soros and he is telling her "Oh yes you will"?

Now that might help make sense of all this churning on the Left...

56 posted on 11/13/2006 10:06:26 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mo1

"Has Nancy been giving out signals that she is not going to be controlled by Soros and he is telling her "Oh yes you will"?"

Sometimes, stuff like re the liberals is just show and bluff so the MSM can carry articles about how tough the liberal leaders are, like Piglosi here.

Remember the Clintoon show and bluff before he was elected with the black female entertainer Sister Whatshername.


57 posted on 11/14/2006 6:26:58 AM PST by Grampa Dave (They Bush haters on both sides have elected the government they have dreamed of!)
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To: caisson71
Murtha won reelection. Obvoiusly, his constituents accept his corruptness.

The main industry in his district is John Murtha. Kind of like Byrd is in West Virginia.

58 posted on 11/14/2006 6:28:44 AM PST by NeoCaveman (Rushbot, AnnDroid, Sic Freak, Steynaholic, any questions.)
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To: Grampa Dave
I think Pelosi has a real problem,...she owes Murthat some big return favors for his services to her....start here I think:

Pelosi's Unforced Error...supporting Murtha

*************************************AN EXCERPT *******************************

Nancy Pelosi has won few plaudits for her first major decision as presumptive Speaker of the 110th Session of Congress. Throwing her support to John Murtha over Steny Hoyer has caused an eruption of criticism and indignation from within her own political coalition, who wonder how a party leader could campaign against corruption and then support one of the biggest porkers in Congress for a leadership position. Rather than attract support for passing over Hoyer, Pelosi has inspired public opposition to her decision -- the latest from Charles Rangel, her choice to chair the Ways and Means Committee:

59 posted on 11/14/2006 6:44:38 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: Grampa Dave
More from the link I just posted to CQ:

****************************AN EXCERPT ****************************

When Murtha shivved Hoyer in June with his announcement, we noted the hubris of Democrats squabbling over leadership positions that they had not yet earned. Now we see the hubris of a Speaker-elect who thought she could re-order her political caucus without considering the views of other members. She's already less than popular with the Congressional Black Caucus (which also may explain the decision by Rangel and Maxine Waters to support Hoyer), and she can hardly afford to alienate many more Democrats if she expects to win election as Speaker.

Posted by Captain Ed at November 14, 2006 06:05 AM

60 posted on 11/14/2006 6:46:44 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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