
News Stories
- Is Murtha Trying to Distance Himself From Magliocchetti?
July 1, 2009 - PMA Client Sues Because it Didn’t Get Earmark; More Evidence of Pay-to-Play?
June 30, 2009 - GOP Zeroes in on Dems' Ties to PMA
June 25, 2009 - Murtha: ‘Public Has Lost Interest’ in Defense
June 25, 2009 - PMA’s Clients Win $317M in Earmarks
June 25, 2009 - Challenger Asks Murtha to Return Donations
June 24, 2009 - PMA’s Fallout Shines Spotlight on Revolving Door of Lobbyists
June 23, 2009 - After Stevens Case, Justice Dept. Corruption Unit in Disarray
June 18, 2009 - Murtha, Visclosky, PMA, Kuchera: What's Going On?
June 16, 2009 - Eye-Opening Earmarks
June 15, 2009 - Republicans May Gain Ethics Issue
June 12, 2009 - Ethics Review of Lobbying Case
June 12, 2009 - House Ethics Panel to Probe PMA
June 12, 2009 - House Panel Approves $44M for NDIC
June 11, 2009 - Defending the Nation From Common Sense
June 10, 2009 - Such a Bonanza of Wacky Tales
June 9, 2009 - Kuchera Haunted By ’82 Drug Conviction
June 8, 2009 - Two Former Drug Dealers Tied to Murtha-Backed Firm
June 8, 2009 - Flake Wants Tighter Financial Interest Rules
June 8, 2009 - Little Airports Rely On Political Clout To Stay Aloft
June 8, 2009 - Defense Firm, A Murtha Backer, Got Money From Drug Dealer
June 5, 2009 - Pelosi's Pork Problem
June 5, 2009 - Firms Tied to Murtha Have Troubled Past
June 5, 2009 - Hoyer Says Murtha And Other Dems Should Be Investigated
June 5, 2009 - PMA’s Friends
June 4, 2009 - Murtha's Ties To Defense Contractor Under Scrutiny
June 4, 2009 - PMA’s Snowball Effect
June 4, 2009 - House Votes to Extract Info From Ethics Panel on PMA Probe
June 4, 2009 - Democrats Look to Neutralize GOP Ethics Attacks
June 4, 2009 - Dems Push Through PMA Resolution
June 4, 2009 - Murtha Apparently Moved Earmark Between Brother’s Clients
June 3, 2009 - House Freshman Class Gives Leaders an Earful on Ethics
June 3, 2009 - FBI Eyes Charity Linked To Rep. Murtha
June 2, 2009 - Pelosi-Murtha Bond Resilient
June 2, 2009 - Corruption Probe Heats Up On Capitol Hill
June 1, 2009 - Murtha's Defense: Thank-You Notes
June 1, 2009 - Murtha Soft-Pedals Federal Probe Inquiries
June 1, 2009 - Murtha Walks Out Of Press Conference
June 1, 2009 - Murtha Starting To Get Testy As Pressure Builds
June 1, 2009 - Vulnerable Democrats Urge Close Scrutiny of Colleagues
June 1, 2009 - Defense contractor with ties to Murtha suspended
May 29, 2009 - Contractors Swarm to Murtha Event
May 29, 2009 - Murtha hails expo’s benefits to region
May 29, 2009 - Holder Pressed for Answers on Murtha Project
May 27, 2009 - Rep. Murtha Gets Primary Challenge
May 27, 2009 - Justice Dept. Investigates Pa. Contractor Tied to Murtha
May 26, 2009 - Feds Eye Murtha Links to Pa. 'Middleman'
May 26, 2009 - Showcase: No Negatives from Murtha Coverage
May 26, 2009 - Earmark Critics Team up for Bipartisan Bill
May 22, 2009 - Controversy Won’t Keep Defense Firms away from Murtha
May 22, 2009 - House Rejects Blocking Funds to Murtha Airport
May 22, 2009 - Johnstown Prepares For Showcase For Commerce
May 22, 2009 - Does Giving Campaign Cash To Lawmakers Help Land Earmarks?
May 20, 2009 - Ethics Issues May Not Hurt Murtha
May 20, 2009 - Murtha Seen as Safe Despite Ethics Probe
May 20, 2009 - How the Left Became Murtha's Enabler
May 18, 2009 - Johnstown Defense Firm Also Under Investigation
May 18, 2009 - Uncle Sam and Uncle John
May 15, 2009 - President Supports Funding Murtha-Backed Drug Center
May 15, 2009 - Murtha Rival Claims Aide Made Threat
May 14, 2009 - Top Dem: 'Don't be a Flake'
May 14, 2009 - Democrats Stop GOP Effort to Start Ethics Inquiry
May 13, 2009 - FAA Approves Plan to Give Stimulus Funds to Airport Named After Murtha
May 13, 2009 - More on Murtha-Backed Biodefense Facility
May 13, 2009 - Report: Murtha Nephew Used Connections
May 13, 2009 - GOPers Target Dems’ Earmarks to Clients of Firm Probed by FBI
May 13, 2009 - Nephew Mentioned Rep. Murtha in Dealings as Contractor
May 12, 2009 - Firms Are Playing Defense
May 12, 2009 - Air Force Program Built on Earmarks
May 12, 2009 - Stressed for Success?
May 11, 2009 - Lawmakers May Give Recalled Combat Helmets More Scrutiny
May 11, 2009 - Biopork: New DHS Appointee Ties to Congressman John Murtha
May 8, 2009 - Fair Elections: Ending the Earmark Game
May 7, 2009 - Murtha's Nephew Got Defense Contracts
May 5, 2009 - The Few, Proud, Well-Connected
May 5, 2009 - Pelosi Confronts Justice
May 4, 2009 - Murtha's Nephew Gets Corps Lobbying Post
May 4, 2009 - Murtha’s Nephew Named a Lobbyist for Marines
May 4, 2009 - Watchdog Group Wants Murtha Investigated; Local Officials React
May 4, 2009 - Groups Want Ethics Probe of Murtha, Others
May 4, 2009 - Watchdogs: PMA's Hill Ties Should Be Probed
May 4, 2009 - Watchdog Groups Join Calls for PMA Probe
May 1, 2009 - Ethics Panel Pressured to Launch PMA Probe
May 1, 2009 - Groups Urge Ethics Probe Into Members’ PMA Ties
May 1, 2009 - Murtha Airport Got Military Upgrades
April 30, 2009 - House Ethics Committee Names Staff Director
April 30, 2009 - Is Johnstown A Poster Child For Earmarks?
April 29, 2009 - Will Murtha Scrutiny Lead Anywhere?
April 28, 2009 - Try Some Quid Pro Nil
April 27, 2009 - In Brief: Murtha Probe Request Expected, Paper Says
April 27, 2009 - House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power
April 27, 2009 - Watchdog Groups Want Ethics Panel Probe of PMA Ties
April 27, 2009 - Welcome to the Airport for Nobody
April 24, 2009 - Remote Murtha Airport Lands Big Bucks from Washington
April 24, 2009 - Proposed Legislation Would Cut Ties Between Earmarks and Contributions
April 23, 2009 - Reps. Look to Cut Ties between Earmarks, Donations
April 22, 2009 - Murtha's Defense Earmarks Draw Questions
April 21, 2009 - Pelosi, Other Dem Leaders Pressure Members to Oppose Ethics Measure
April 21, 2009 - More Than A Little Help From Murtha
April 20, 2009 - Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft
April 20, 2009 - A 'Majority' Definition of Ethics
April 17, 2009 - Lobbying Firm Closes, Earmarker Fundraising Plummets?
April 17, 2009 - New Ethics Office Says 10 Hill Figures Face Investigations
April 17, 2009 - 3 Linked to Lobby Firm See Donations Drop
April 17, 2009 - Not All Murtha Lawsuits Gone Away
April 17, 2009 - Congress: Murtha Watch
April 16, 2009 - New Ethics Panel Starts 10 Lawmaker Probes
April 16, 2009 - Murtha Draws Donations from PMA Clients
April 15, 2009 - New Ethics Office, Established Last Year, Open for Business
April 14, 2009 - Turnover on Panel Slows Progress
April 14, 2009 - Murtha Seeks Earmarks for PMA Clients; Visclosky Steers Clear
April 9, 2009 - Pennsylvania Lawmakers Let Light Shine on Federal Budget Earmarks
April 8, 2009 - More on $1 Billion Murtha-Connected Biodefense Facility
April 8, 2009 - Ex-Pittsburgher in Middle of Earmark Scandal
April 6, 2009 - Rep. Murtha Wants $134M In Earmarks
April 6, 2009 - Lawmaker Said to Surface in Lobbying Inquiry
April 6, 2009 - Lawmakers Slow to Comply With New Filing Requirement
April 6, 2009 - Earmarks of Scandal
April 2, 2009 - Murtha Stays Mum on PMA Inquiry
April 2, 2009 - PMA Scandal Dogs Pelosi
April 1, 2009 - Firms Mum on PMA Plans
April 1, 2009 - Work to Do
April 1, 2009 - Murtha: If Loving Constituents Is Wrong ... I Don't Wanna Be Right!
March 31, 2009 - Did Murtha Say What He Meant?
March 31, 2009 - Criminal Inquiry Into Murtha Lobbyist Heats Up
March 31, 2009 - Flake's Call For PMA Probe Gaining Support
March 31, 2009 - Critics Claim John Murtha is Capitalizing on a Corrupt System, but He's Not Apologizing
March 30, 2009 - Dems Fear Defections in PMA Probe
March 30, 2009 - Star Lobbyist Closes Shop Amid F.B.I. Inquiry
March 30, 2009 - Slow Start for Pelosi's New Watchdogs
March 25, 2009 - Companies Try to Clean up Their Act
March 24, 2009 - PMA Group Clients Migrate to Firm’s Former Lobbyists
March 24, 2009 - THE INFLUENCE GAME: Mixing Donations, Earmarks
March 23, 2009 - Congressman Murtha’s Friends Team Up on Big Biodefense project
March 20, 2009 - Political Animal Behavior 101
March 20, 2009 - Murtha Defends Statement
March 19, 2009 - Questions About Murtha Contract Awards
March 18, 2009 - Reaction to Murtha Investigation
March 18, 2009 - Flake Won’t Give Up on PMA
March 18, 2009 - Jack Murtha’s Got That PMA
March 17, 2009 - Donations from Defense Lobbyist PMA Group were a Family Affair
March 17, 2009 - Documents: Penn. Center Funneled Federal Funding to Rep. Murtha's Supporters
March 16, 2009 - PMA Group and Clients Paid Out $40 Million to Current Congress
March 13, 2009 - PMA Lobbyist, Relatives Gave Lawmakers $1.5 Million Since 2000
March 12, 2009 - Inside Murtha's 'Earmark Factory'
March 11, 2009 - Lawmakers Defend Earmarks as Way to Bring Federal Funds Home
March 11, 2009 - Flake is Fighting a Lonely Battle against Earmarks
March 10, 2009 - GOP Says Ethics Turnabout is Fair Play
March 10, 2009 - Pentagon's Unwanted Projects in Earmarks
March 9, 2009 - Who Are You Calling Partisan?
March 9, 2009 - Visclosky Calls for PMA Ethics Investigation
March 6, 2009 - Coburn Effort to Strip PMA Earmarks Fails
March 5, 2009 - PMA Politics May Infect 2010 Races
March 5, 2009 - Raided Lobby Firm Still a Force on Capitol Hill
March 4, 2009 - Visclosky's Ties to Troubled PMA Group Run Deep
March 2, 2009 - PMA's Exodus Grows, Founder Hires a Lawyer
February 26, 2009 - Flake’s Earmark Crusade Converts Some
February 26, 2009 - House Kills Effort to Investigate Lobbyist-Lawmaker Ties
February 26, 2009 - With PMA Earmarks In Spending Bill, GOPer Forces Vote On Probe
February 25, 2009 - 104 Will Get You $300 Million
February 20, 2009 - PMA Group Shuttering Its Lobbying Practice
February 20, 2009 - Lawmakers Return Money Tied to Troubled Lobby Firm
February 19, 2009 - Firm with Murtha Ties Got Earmarks From Nearly One-Fourth of House
February 19, 2009 - 3 Lawmakers Will Return Money Tied to Lobbyist
February 18, 2009 - Fundraiser for Murtha may have Broken Campaign Finance Rules
February 18, 2009 - The 'Culture Of Corruption,' Redux
February 18, 2009 - PMA Closes PAC
February 17, 2009 - Firm Tied to Murtha Closes PAC
February 17, 2009 - Rep. Moran: Murtha Not Worried over Raid
February 13, 2009 - Murtha Bogus Campaign Contributions Questioned
February 13, 2009 - Following Mr. Murtha’s Money
February 12, 2009 - Pelosi Concerned about a Murtha Probe
February 12, 2009 - Murtha May Be In Hot Water
February 12, 2009 - Running for the Exit at PMA Group
February 12, 2009 - Federal Authorities Raid Top Donor to Ohio Congressmen
February 11, 2009 - Lobbyist Inquiry Appears to Be Widening
February 11, 2009 - After FBI Raid, Top Defense Lobbying Firm Falling Apart
February 11, 2009 - FBI Raids Lobby Firm with Murtha Ties
February 10, 2009 - U.S. Raids a Lobbying Firm With Ties to a Congressman
February 10, 2009 - Feds Raid Another Firm Linked to Congressman Murtha
February 10, 2009 - Federal Raid on Plant Has Residents Worried
February 2, 2009 - Possible Shakeup At Firm Tied To John Murtha
January 30, 2009 - Kucheras Donated Thousands To Pennsylvania Representatives
January 27, 2009 - Murtha Got Payback in ’08
January 27, 2009 - Murtha's 'Big-Game' Link
January 27, 2009 - Investigators Still Mum on Raids on Two Contractors
January 26, 2009 - Dems Wrestle with Ethics Problems
January 26, 2009 - Big Game Hunting with John Murtha
January 26, 2009 - Feds Raid Contractor with Murtha Ties
January 23, 2009 - Federal Agencies Raid Kuchera Companies
January 23, 2009 - Pa. Defense Firm Raided by FBI
January 23, 2009 - FBI Raids Contractor with Murtha Link
January 23, 2009 - U.S. Raids Contractors Aided by Murtha
January 23, 2009 - Pratt & Whitney Faces New Engine Fight
January 21, 2009 - Jefferson Frozen Out Once Again
December 9, 2008 - Bachmann One of 9 'Most Embarrassing' Members of Congress
December 9, 2008 - Murtha Got $330K-Plus Boost from Democrats Right Before Election
December 3, 2008 - A K Street Murtha Connection
November 18, 2008 - Area Business Leaders Applaud Murtha's Re-Election
November 10, 2008 - Gifts to Favored Cause Lobby Now Being Monitored
October 20, 2008 - Is the Boom Set to End for Defense Contractors?
October 20, 2008 - Earmarks, Contributions, Contracts
October 16, 2008 - Congress Hides $3.5B in Earmarks
October 15, 2008 - Embattled Alaska Sen. Stevens Tops List for Earmarks
September 25, 2008 - Nonprofit fingers Murtha as corrupt
September 12, 2008 - Congressmen Murphy, Murtha on CREW group's 'most corrupt' list
September 11, 2008 - Murtha Intervenes for Company That Broke Export Law
September 9, 2008 - Dems, GOP together nix Murtha earmark
May 13, 2008 - Editorial: If we're going to complain about federal waste, let's not leave out Johnstown's Rep. Murtha
November 2, 2007 - Editorial: Mud thrown at Murtha stains all of us
September 21, 2007 - Murtha, Murphy criticized
September 19, 2007 - Murtha on 'Corrupt' List
September 19, 2007 - Watchdog group ranks Murtha among most corrupt
September 19, 2007 - Watchdog's latest report shows Congress still has plenty of corruption
September 18, 2007 - 13 Lawmakers Subpoenaed in Bribery Trial
September 18, 2007
The 20 most corrupt members of Congress
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
- Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
- Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
- Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)
- Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
- Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
- Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
- Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
- Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
- Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
- Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
- Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
- Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
- Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
- Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
- Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Dishonorable mentions
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Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)

NEW! Check out You Don't Know Jack, our interactive web detailing all of Rep. Murtha's connections to the defense industry and their lobbyists!
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) is an 18th-term member of Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Rep. Murtha chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Murtha’s ethics violations stem from abuse of his position on the subcommittee to benefit the lobbying firm of a former long-term staffer and from threatening to block earmarks of other members for political purposes. Rep. Murtha was included as a member to watch in CREW’s 2006 and 2007 reports on congressional corruption.
PMA Group
Paul Magliocchetti worked with Rep. Murtha as a senior staffer on the Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense for 10 years. After leaving the committee, Mr. Magliocchetti founded the PMA Group, which has become one of the most prominent Washington, D.C. defense lobbying firms. Since the second quarter of 2007 campaign cycle, the PMA Group and ten of the firm’s clients ranked in the top 20 contributors to Rep. Murtha, having made campaign contributions totaling $190,880. In the 2006, 2004 and 2002 cycles, PMA and its clients have given $274,649, $236,799, $279,074 in contributions respectively. In turn, many of PMA’s clients have benefitted significantly from Rep. Murtha’s earmarks. In the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill, Rep. Murtha helped steer at least $100.5 million to PMA clients–up from $95.1 million in the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill.
Other Earmarks
Other companies receiving federal earmarks have donated to Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee and PAC. Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Conemaugh Health Systems, DRS Technologies, L. Robert Kimball, MTS Technologies, and Windber Research Institute donated to Rep. Murtha and were the recipients of earmarks in the FY 2008 Defense Appropriations bill.
Concurrent Technologies Corporation
CTC is a large non-profit that in 2006 received over $225 million in government grants. Congress has earmarked at least $226 million for CTC in the past four years. Since 2002, CTC’s employees and employees’ family members have donated over $126,000 to Rep. Murtha’s political committees and leadership PAC.
Critics of CTC have charged that earmarked federal funds have resulted in few new developments. A Pentagon inspector general audit found that CTC subsidiary, the National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence, had demonstrated 63 technologies between 1990 and 2000, of which only a third were transferred over to the Defense Department, and of those only one technology has been used at more than one site. In that ten year period the center received $212 million in appropriations. A former CTC director characterized much of the non-profit’s work as never getting off the planning table.
In April of 2008, the FBI and the Pentagon Defense Criminal Investigation Service issued subpoenas seeking information regarding contracts awarded to Commonwealth Research Institute (CRI) and its parent company CTC. Investigators are seeking information about seven contracts, four of which were awarded to CTC over several weeks in May and June 2002 and worth up to $130 million. Investigators are also seeking information regarding a 2002 CRI deal worth $10 million and a 2006 no-bid contract worth up to $45 million.
Additionally, in December 2007, Sen. Charles Grassley began an inquiry into why CTC has been considered a tax exempt charity.
ProLogic Earmarks
Rep. Murtha has also earmarked for ProLogic, Inc., a small company under federal investigation for allegedly diverting federal funds to develop software for commercial sale. Despite the federal probe investigating the abuse of taxpayer money, Rep. Murtha inserted a $2.4 million earmark for the company for fiscal year 2008.
Since 2002, executives and spouses of ProLogic have donated $42,900 to Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee, and $10,000 to Rep. Murtha’s PAC. Additionally, ProLogic’s PAC has donated $18,000 to both Rep. Murtha’s campaign committee and PAC. ProLogic is a PMA client.
By earmarking funds for CTC, ProLogic and companies represented by the PMA group in return for campaign contributions, Rep. Murtha may have violated federal criminal laws and House rules prohibiting members from dispensing special favors.