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Once powerful lobbyist Paul Magliochetti was sentenced Friday to 27 months in prison for making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations and lying to the Federal Election Commission. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III also sentenced Magliochetti to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $75,000 fine. Magliochetti, a former staffer on the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee who had close ties to the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), in September pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., to one count each of making false statements, illegal conduit political contributions and...

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...

Tonight, Freedom Radio welcomes Lt Col Bill Russell, US Army retired and 2008 Republican nominee to the House of Representatives to discuss the Pennsylvania Republican Committee Chair Robert Gleason who may seek the national RNC chairmanship. Dr. M. Zhudi Jasser will join us from the American Muslim Forum for Democracy and discuss reported decision to indefinitely detained the 9/11 conspirators without trial. Pat and Tim will also discuss the KSM trial during our national security update. That's Freedom Radio, tonight at 8 PM Eastern. Our call-in-number is 646-478-5613.

Ken Buck and Michael Bennet had a debate the other day. Ken Buck posed a simple question to Bennet: Did you vote for $1.5 million for an airport named after Jack Murtha that serves no more than 20 passengers a day? Bennet’s answer? Yes, “but it certainly was not of interest to me.” Buck replies, “I think $1.5 million is certainly of interest to all of us.” Link to YouTube of 40 second clip:Ken Buck Gets the Truth From Michael Bennet on His Concern for Earmarking Link to YouTube video of ABC expose of Murtha airport boondoggleABC News: Murtha Airport...

Feds eye $10M for Murtha Center Mike Faher The Tribune-Democrat — Less than four months after plans were disclosed for the John P. Murtha Center for Public Service in Richland Township, the proposed facility may be getting another big financial boost. A group of five federal lawmakers has earmarked $10 million for the center in an early version of the House of Representatives’ defense-appropriations bill. If that cash makes it through the legislative process, the federal money would match $10 million in state funds already earmarked by Gov. Ed Rendell...

Although the late Rep. John Murtha was able to steer tens of millions to build infrastructure and bring military units to the facility, few of the earmarks went into the authority’s operating budget.

ANN ARBOR, MI – He defended our Nation for over twenty-three years . . . often away from his wife and children . . . so that we could be home safely with ours. All patriotic Americans owe a debt of gratitude to this American hero. After a protracted four and a half year legal ordeal over the “Haditha massacre” - a massacre that never happened - LtCol Jeffrey Chessani completed his final day of active duty service in the United States Marine Corps last Friday, July 16, 2010. Thus ended the promising career of one of America’s most effective...

The United States of America used to be a fearsome power but one with a soft touch. Peoples of the world looked to this great nation as that "shining city on a hill" and came here by the millions to become the next new American citizen. Producing its greatness were great men and in memory of those great men landmarks, and worthy institutions were named after them by a proud and thankful people. We had Washington City named for the father of our country. We had schools and libraries named after the first man of the people, Andrew Jackson. We...

Duke University analysis of U.S. rail manufacturing shows that Pennsylvania has 26 rail manufacturing facilities, from Pittsburgh to PhiladelphiaThe U.S. rail manufacturing industry stands to undergo considerable growth in the coming years, as Amtrak upgrades its railcars and adds high-speed trains, and as lawmakers consider a transportation bill that calls for significantly greater investments in public transit, including rail, according to a new study by Duke University prepared for the Apollo Alliance. Pennsylvania, which is home to 26 rail-manufacturing facilities and is planning its own high-speed rail network, would reap major benefits from such a bill. "Our research found that...

A congressional ethics office asked the Justice Department on Thursday to review evidence it found suggesting that companies are providing campaign cash to lawmakers for no-bid contracts, and consider a criminal probe. The Office of Congressional Ethics investigation focused on companies that were clients of the once powerful lobby firm the PMA Group and sought earmarked contracts from lawmakers who sat on the House Appropriations committee. The referral was an end-run around the House ethics committee, which earlier this year declined to investigate the matter as the OCE recommended and said it found no substantiation that lawmakers were engaged...

The FBI on Tuesday released hundreds of pages of records concerning late Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha, but declined to make public any information about an ongoing investigation into allegations of kickbacks involving defense contractors. The FBI released 24 pages of news articles involving the investigation into defense contractors that received millions of dollars in "earmarks", but said the "bulk" of the materials on the probe must remain sealed. "As this investigative file is still in 'pending status', the bulk of the file's FBI documents are not releasable until the conclusion of the investigation" the FBI said in releasing the...

Conventional wisdom: it is a fickle, fickle thing. The latest example of the incredible lightness of opinion in today’s media and political climate is the reaction to the results of the race in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Politicians and pundits, right- as well as left-leaning, are taking it as evidence that Republican hopes of retaking the House this November are too optimistic. That may turn out to be the case, but PA-12 is hardly enough evidence to warrant the conclusion. First, let’s place that district in context. Yes, it was one of Obama’s ten worst Appalachian congressional district’s during his...

REPUBLICANS ON TRACK TO SNATCH DEFEAT FROM JAWS OF VICTORYMay 19, 2010 Republican consultants are doing a wonderful job raising expectations sky-high for the November elections, so that now, even if Republicans do smashingly well, it will look like a defeat (and an across-the-board endorsement of Obama's agenda). Thanks, Republicans! That's what happened in the 1998 congressional elections, nearly foiling Clinton's impeachment. It's what happened to the Conservative Party in Britain a week ago. And that's what happened this week in the 12th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, formerly represented by Rep. John Murtha. Note to Republicans: Whenever possible, victory parties...

On Tuesday morning, Republicans who were closely watching the special election in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District — once represented by John Murtha — did not offer ironclad, take-it-to-the-bank guarantees that their man Tim Burns was going to win. But they liked his chances, and expected him to at least run close to Democrat Mark Critz. The final tally wasn’t close: Critz won 53.4 percent to Burns’s 44.3 percent, with all precincts but one reporting. Critz won a bit more than 71,000 votes, Burns a bit more than 59,000. So what happened? Among the arguments emerging late Tuesday night: Critz ran...

Mark Critz, the aide to the late Congressman John Murtha, won a special election Tuesday to fill the remainder of his term which ends Jan. 3. Critz, a Democrat, easily beat Republican Tim Burns, who state GOP Chairman Rob Gleason had tapped over Bill Russell, the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who ran against Murtha in 2008.

The special election in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district was supposed to be the harbinger of things to come in Nov. It didn't turn out the way Republicans had hoped. But it didn't exactly turn out the way the Democrats had hoped, either. In fact, if I were the Obama White House, I'd be a little alarmed. The 12th district held promise for both parties. Because it was a special election to replace the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D), it was viewed as a exhibition match before November's main event. That it went for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004 and...

Democrat Mark Critz has defeated Republican challenger Tim Burns in the special election for the House seat formerly held by the late John Murtha in Pennsylvania's 12th district

The polls are not yet closed in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. Yet some astute observers are seeing a Tim Burns win in the cards. Why predict a Burns win in a district that is 2 to 1 Democrat? Let's go through the reasons: 1-This years big political theme: The theme of 2010 is change. The 12th district has been Democrat since 1974.It 's hard for Critz to argue he is an agent for change when he is of the same party as Obama and worked for Murtha. Indeed, he campaigns that he can bring home pork like Murtha. This is...

The final poll before Tuesday’s special election to fill Jack Murtha’s unexpired seat in the U.S. House shows that Republican Tim Burns is neck and neck with Democrat and pork barrel specialist Mark Critz. (Yes, Critz’s campaign is funded by lobbyists and special interests.)

A final Public Policy Polling survey in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district finds the special election to replace the late John Murtha (D) looks to be headed for a photo finish with Tim Burns (R) barely edging Mark Critz (D), 48% to 47%. Voters head to the polls on Tuesday.