Roll Call reports that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer believes Rep. Norm Dicks will replace the late John Murtha as chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Dicks numbers the now-defunct PMA Group as his second-largest career donor; David Heath, then of the Seattle Times, reported on Dicks’ relationship to the firm that closed its doors in the midst of a federal investigation (ongoing) into its campaign contributions to members of Congress who provided earmarks for its clients. In his 2009 report, Heath wrote:

In the past two years, Dicks pushed for nine earmarks worth $20 million for PMA clients. Those clients include defense contractors with satellite offices in Bremerton, such as 21 Century Systems, Advanced Acoustic Concepts and Concurrent Technologies. Each company is involved in defense technology.

Those companies’ employees or political-action committees have given large campaign contributions to Dicks. Each also have offices in Murtha’s district.

House leadership is apparently looking for continuity.