John Sheiner, legislative director for Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., says his boss was responsible for one of the three earmarks in H.R. 5386, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, directed to the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Foundation, about which see more here and here.

The earmark in question, for $350,000, was to the “Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation to provide glaucoma screenings and follow-up in the New York metropolitan area.”

Rangel’s office also says that Sharmon Paschal Thornton, who the Foundation identifies as a legislative consultant to the congressman, is a former employee of the office; she does consult, but isn’t a current congressional employee.