Second Contractor With Murtha Ties Pleads Guilty

From The Hill:

A former Air Force contractor pleaded guilty Monday to a false statement and conflict-of-interest charge in a widening case involving several defense companies with ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.).

Mark O’Hair faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for omitting any reference to his position as a director of a defense company on financial disclosure forms required for his position as a civilian program officer. The company received more than $200,000 in government contracts while O’Hair was in charge of awarding contractors for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

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What’s That Got to Do With Mr. Murtha? -- A Commentary

John Murtha

From The New York Times:

One of the most favored insiders in Representative John Murtha’s rich churn of defense earmarks has pleaded guilty to criminal charges, shedding light on a twisting, pay-to-play money trail. The contractor, Richard Ianieri, admitted taking $200,000 in bribes from another big defense contractor in the Murtha orbit, and is cooperating with investigators.

“What’s that got to do with me?” commented Mr. Murtha, who previously lavished praise and tens of millions of dollars in contracts on the two companies caught up in the criminal investigation.

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DOJ Says Murtha Earmark Money Was Illicitly Distributed

Rep. John Murtha. Matthew Cavanaugh / EPA file

From Roll Call:

A contracting firm that had hired the brother of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) as its lobbyist took the proceeds from a Murtha-provided, $8.2 million Air Force earmark and distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to other companies represented by the Congressman’s brother for items that were not part of the project, the Justice Department charged Thursday.

The charges make no indication that the Congressman had any involvement or knowledge of the transactions.

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My Comment: I will change the old phrase .... "All roads lead to Rome" .... to .... "All roads lead to John Murtha".

Exec With Murtha Ties Took Kickbacks, Feds Say

Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, Sep. 17, 2007. (AP.)

From MSNBC:

Ex-head of defense firm allegedly got $200,000 for ‘favorable treatment’.

PITTSBURGH - A former executive for a defense contractor with ties to Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha has been charged by federal prosecutors with taking about $200,000 in kickbacks from a subcontractor.

Richard Ianieri, of Doylestown, Pa., served as president and CEO of Coherent Systems International Corp., the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

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Murtha's Nephew Got Defense Contracts

Photo: Murtha has "no influence" in the awarding of particular contracts, a Pentagon spokesman said. (By Charles Dharapak -- Associated Press)

From The Washington Post:

Millions in Work Came Without Competition.

The headquarters of Murtech, in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park, has its blinds drawn tight and few signs of life. On several days of visits, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot, and no trucks arrive at the 10 loading bays at the back of the building.

Yet last year, Murtech received $4 million in Pentagon work, all of it without competition, for a variety of warehousing and engineering services. With its long corridor of sparsely occupied offices and an unmanned reception area, Murtech's most striking feature is its owner -- Robert C. Murtha Jr., 49. He is the nephew of Rep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has significant sway over the Defense Department's spending as chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

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My Comment: Another deal that stinks to high heaven .... this Congressman has no shame and is not even bothering hiding the favoritism.

Groups Want Ethics Probe Of Murtha, Others

Matthew Cavanaugh / EPA file

From The Washington Times:

Four political watchdog groups that typically support Democratic causes want a congressional ethics panel to probe ties between three House Democrats and the defunct Washington lobbying firm, the PMA Group, which benefited from the lawmakers' help.

In a letter Thursday to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the groups Common Cause, Public Citizen, Democracy 21 and U.S. PIRG asked for the panel to investigate whether Reps. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana and James P. Moran of Virginia were influenced by campaign contributions and other financial benefits when they approved special pet projects, or earmarks, for clients of the PMA Group, in violation of House ethics rules.

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John Murtha Airport: Earmark Reform Poster Child

Photo: Rep. John Murtha

From Mother Jones:

Pennsylvania Congressman John "Jack" Murtha, a Democrat and the powerful chairman of the House appropriations committee, is a creature of the Washington culture that needs to be changed. Here's another example of why:

At the behest of Rep. John P. Murtha (D), chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, the Pentagon has spent about $30 million equipping the little-used airport named for him so it can handle behemoth military aircraft and store combat equipment for rapid deployment to foreign battlefields....

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Best Served Cold Watch: Obama Abandoning Murtha.

From Red State:

I have to admit that when it comes to avenging slights made against it this administration has both total recall and infinite patience. What’s below (via Instapundit) is probably the most important part of this New York Times article about Jack Murtha’s travails:

While past presidents often courted Mr. Murtha with phone calls and private meetings, President Obama has extended to him no such courtesies. On a visit to the White House, the lawmaker told senior defense officials that it would be “foolish” and “ridiculous” to cancel all of a $13 billion contract to buy new presidential helicopters, as he later recounted to a defense industry newsletter. But Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has insisted on scrapping the deal as a symbol of waste.

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My Comment: Red State is a conservative blog, and it has no loyalties to the Democratic Party .... but I have to agree with their assessment that relations between President Obama and Rep. Murtha are clearing going down two separate paths.

ABC News Reports On John Murtha's Pork Laden Airport

House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power

Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, with Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, has long wielded considerable clout. Matthew Cavanaugh/European Pressphoto Agency

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — So powerful was Representative John P. Murtha at one time that he used to put up billboards in his Western Pennsylvania district declaring that “the P is for Power.” Few in Congress dared disagree: he doled out or withheld billions in federal money each year for lawmakers’ pet projects, better known as earmarks.

Now, however, a string of federal criminal investigations of contractors or lobbyists close to Mr. Murtha, the top Democrat on the defense appropriations subcommittee, are threatening to undermine his backroom clout.

In the weeks since the news that prosecutors had raided the offices of the PMA Group — a lobbying firm founded by a former Murtha associate that became a gateway to his office and his biggest source of campaign money — about two dozen rank-and-file Democrats have risked his wrath by calling for a House ethics investigation of the matter. One Democrat has even foresworn seeking earmarks for the military contractors in his district because of ethical concerns about the process.

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Welcome To The Airport For Nobody

On average, just 20 people a day flew out of the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport last year. But, the airport was just allocated $800,000 in stimulus funds to repave an alternate runway. (Jonathan Karl /ABC News)

From ABC News:

Rep. John Murtha Steered $150 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Airport Over Last Decade

You've heard of the Bridge to Nowhere. You might call this the Airport for Nobody.

The John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport has an impressive $18 million runway made of reinforced concrete that's big enough to land any airplane in North America. The airport also has a $7 million air traffic control tower, a $14 million hanger and $8 million radar. Most of the time, the only thing the airport doesn't have is airplanes.

An average of just 20 people a day flew out of the Murtha Airport last year. But, the airport was just awarded more federal money -- $800,000 in stimulus funds to repave an alternate runway.

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Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft

The security check-in area at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Johnstown, Pa., where the security staff members sometimes outnumber the passengers. (By Robin Rombach For The Washington Post)

State-of-the-Art Pennsylvania Facility Sees Few Travelers but Lots of Funding

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- The John Murtha airport sits on a windy mountain two hours east of Pittsburgh, a 650-acre expanse of smooth tarmac, spacious buildings, a helicopter hangar and a National Guard training center.

Inside the terminal on a recent weekday, four passengers lined up to board a flight, outnumbered by seven security staff members and supervisors, all suited up in gloves and uniforms to screen six pieces of luggage. For three hours that day, no commercial or private planes took off or landed. Three commercial flights leave the airport on weekdays, all bound for Dulles International Airport.

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Murtha's Defense Earmarks Draw Questions

From CBS News:

(CBS) CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and investigative producer Laura Strickler reported this story for CBSNews.com.

Spring in Washington is "earmark season" - a busy time for Congressman John Murtha.

"That's my business," Murtha said. "I've been in it for 35 years."

As head of a powerful Defense committee, Murtha controls hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, reports CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. And he's not shy about directing money to those who give generously to his election campaigns.

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Does Congressman John Murtha Deserve The Department Of The Navy’s Highest Public Service Award?

Rep. John Murtha, D- Pa., a key ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, may try to force the closing of the Guantanamo detention facility. Matthew Cavanaugh / EPA file

A Petition To The Navy Re: Congressman John Murtha -- Pajamas Media

When I read the following email, I clicked posthaste on the link to sign the petition. (I don’t think I’ve ever been number 4 on a petition before, but the outrage was immediate. I think when you read it, you will want to sign too. But if by some remote chance you dither, remember this video of the man our Navy has seen fit to celebrate. But read the email first. That should suffice.)

Friends,

Congressman John Murtha was recently awarded the Department of the Navy’s highest public service award for non-employees by the Secretary of the Navy. This is an outrage. As you probably know, John Murtha has been the worst of a bad lot in Congress who exploited those serving in combat for political purposes. He was the most outspoken member of Congress in aggressively attacking Marines as “cold blooded killers” who “murdered women and children” after the Haditha incident in November, 2005, BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION WAS EVEN CONDUCTED. In fact, he slandered the Marines to such an extent, and with such disregard for the truth, that one of them sued him for libel (rumor says there’s another libel suit to come soon). It is inconceivable that the Secretary of the Navy would give such an award to such a man, yet it happened not two weeks ago with muted response. I have created an online petition to express our outrage and disgust and I’m asking you to join me in signing it. Please use the link below to visit the petition and sign it; it will take less than two minutes. Additionally, please send it on to everyone you know who cares about the reputation of our active duty military and combat veterans, we can’t allow this to pass by unnoticed. Once we receive enough signatures, it will be noticed. It is essential that you forward on the link to others, it’s the only way this will generate momentum. Please take a few minutes to make sure that this petition doesn’t stop with you.

Fight Back

Semper Fi

The link to the petition is here.

My Comment: And Congress wants to know why their approval ratings are always in the cellar? This award is nothing more but trying to satisfy a Congressman's ego. Shame to the U.S. Navy brass for giving this award in the hope that he will accommodate their budgetary needs when the 2010 budget is decided upon in the next few weeks.

Between you and me .... Congressman's John Murtha is more concerned about himself and his friends than what the Navy may want. This PR stunt by the Navy is just that .... and it will be perceived and accepted by the public as that.

Research Center's Role Faces Scrutiny

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) helped establish Pennsylvania State University's Electro-Optics Center. Photo Credit: By Brendan Hoffman -- Bloomberg News

From Washington Post:

Advice From Murtha Allies Guided Funding Requests, Documents Show.

A Pennsylvania defense research center regularly consulted with two "handlers" close to Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) as it collected nearly $250 million in federal funding through the lawmaker, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and sources familiar with the funding requests. The center then channeled a significant portion of the funding to companies that were among Murtha's campaign supporters.

The two advisers included a lobbyist for PMA Group, a firm with close ties to Murtha that is the subject of a federal investigation into whether it made illegal contributions by reimbursing donors to the Pennsylvania lawmaker and other members of Congress. The Electro-Optics Center also relied on advice from a longtime Murtha friend who now works on the congressman's appropriations staff.

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My Comment: Even Daily Kos is upset over what they see as a clear case of a conflict of interests. The link to their comments is HERE.

Inside Murtha's 'Earmark Factory'

From Politico:

Over the course of the past decade, Rep. John P. Murtha has earmarked millions of dollars for the Electro-Optics Center at Penn State University — money that has, in turn, gone to clients of the PMA Group, the Murtha-linked lobbying shop that was raided in November as part of a federal criminal probe.

Founded in 1999 as a joint enterprise run by Penn State and the Office of Naval Research, the EOC promotes electronic research needed for state-of-the-art military equipment.

But sources familiar with the EOC’s operations say Murtha has used the center as a “front” for PMA and other lobbyists and contractors with ties to the Pennsylvania Democrat.

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My Comment: This Congressman has one well oiled machine.

House Turns Back all For PMA Probe

From The Politico:

The House on Thursday night turned back another call to investigate the PMA Group, a once-powerful lobbying firm whose offices were recently raided by the FBI and which has close ties to Pennsylvania Rep. John P. Murtha (D).

Twenty-one Democrats, including nine freshmen, voted to proceed with debate on the measure offered by Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake (R) calling for an investigation of the lobbying firm. Most of the Democrats represent fiscally conservative districts.

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My Comment: I call this protecting your own. Congress has no interest in embarrassing Murtha.

House Kills Effort To Investigate Lobbyist-Lawmaker Ties

From FOX News:

The proposal would have forced the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe into ties between the source and timing of campaign contributions by lobbyists and subsequent legislator requests for special projects or earmarks.

The House voted Wednesday to kill a resolution calling for an ethics investigation into potential quid pro quo between lobbyist campaign donations and lawmakers.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., sponsored the proposal that would have forced the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe into ties between the source and timing of campaign contributions by lobbyists and subsequent legislator requests for special projects or earmarks.

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My Comment: Kudos to Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., he knows where all of Rep. Murtha's skeletons are hidden.

Firm With Murtha Ties Got Earmarks From Nearly One-Fourth of House

Congressman John P. Murtha (Photo from News Now Network)

From CQ Politics:

More than 100 House members secured earmarks in a major spending bill for clients of a single lobbying firm — The PMA Group — known for its close ties to John P. Murtha , the congressman in charge of Pentagon appropriations.

“It shows you how good they were,” said Keith Ashdown, chief investigator at the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. “The sheer coordination of that would take an army to finish.”

PMA’s offices have been raided, and the firm closed its political action committee last week amid reports that the FBI is investigating possibly illegal campaign contributions to Murtha and other lawmakers.

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My Comment: I am still trying to get around the number of 100 House members submitting earmarks for just 1 company. Talk about connections that go deep.

Who Donated Money To John Murtha?

U.S. Representative John Murtha

Despite Listing, Donors Don't Work for Firm Being
Probed -- Washington Post

From The Washington Post:

Marvin Hoffman is listed in campaign finance records as one of the many lobbyists with the powerful PMA Group donating money to lawmakers. But Hoffman is a soon-to-retire information technology manager in Marina del Rey, Calif., who has never heard of the Arlington lobbying firm or the Indiana congressman to whom he supposedly gave $2,000.

"It's alarming that someone is stealing my identity somewhere," Hoffman, 75, said in an interview. "I've never heard of this company."

Another contributor listed as a PMA lobbyist is, in fact, a sales manager for an inflatable boat manufacturer in New Jersey. John Hendricksen said he did make campaign donations but never worked at PMA and does not know how he ended up listed in records that way.

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My Comment: Money is the mother's milk of all elections. Just follow the money.

Update: Riehl World View examines these links very closely. He followthe money.

His post is here.