PMA Group, Clients Flood House Appropriators with Cash

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For the long serving gentleman from Indiana, Rep. Pete Visclosky, more than $1.3 million. For the ranking member, Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young of Florida, more than $460,000. For the gentleman from Virginia, Rep. Jim Moran, a tad less than $1 million. And for their ringleader, Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania and chair of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a whopping $2.3 million from lobbying firm PMA Group and its clients, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

We already know that more than 100 House members earmarked funds for PMA Group clients, and have, “since 2001, accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign contributions from PMA’s political action committee and employees of the firm.”

So far, it seems that investigation has focused on campaign finance irregularitiesstraw men and questionable fundraising practices. Will there be a broader examination of how the firm worked Congress for its clients?