John Murtha
news archive:
“If I’m
corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district,”
2009
Murtha wants $134 million in
earmarks...
A flurry of federal investigations and news articles about
Congressman John Murtha’s funding requests and campaign
contributions has not stopped him from asking for $134 million in
earmarks for his district this year, including $75 million for
defense spending.
... Four of the earmark requests from Murtha’s office are for
current or former clients of a lobbying firm, the PMA Group, that
is currently under federal investigation for connection to
possible "straw" donations to Murtha and other Democratic members
of the House...
Murtha
protege/top lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti (PMA Group) cuts and runs
as FBI investigation digs in...
...many
on Capitol Hill, recalling the scandal that mushroomed around the
lobbyist
Jack
Abramoff , are wondering who else will be
ensnared in the investigation as prosecutors pore over the
financial records and computer files of one of K Street’s most
influential lobbyists, known both for the billions of dollars in
earmarks he obtained for his clients and for his open hand toward
those he sought to influence.
... Mr. Magliocchetti helped pioneer the lucrative specialty of
helping contractors lobby for military earmarks, the several
billion dollars in pet spending items that members of the panel
insert in annual spending bills, often with little oversight.
... when [Magliocchetti] left to start his lobbying firm in 1989,
he helped Mr. Murtha recruit major military contractors to attend
a new annual trade fair in Johnstown that became the cornerstone
of the lawmaker’s effort to steer business to the area.
Since 1998, for example, employees of the firm and its clients
have contributed more than $40 million to lawmakers, including
more than $7.8 million to members on the House defense spending
panel and $2.4 million to Mr. Murtha, its chairman. The same
lawmakers, meanwhile, have helped finance hundreds of pet projects
sought by PMA clients, including earmarks for more than $300
million in the military spending bill passed last year alone. And
PMA, still owned by Mr. Magliocchetti until its collapse, grew
into a K Street powerhouse with more than $15 million a year in
lobbying fees...
Murtha's
Navy award sparks fury ...
In
one of his last moves before leaving office March 13, then-Navy Secretary
Donald Winter quietly awarded 19-term Democratic congressman John Murtha
(Pa.) with the service's highest civilian honor.
...The award
generated little publicity when it was given to Murtha in early March, but as
news of the honor trickled out, some veterans groups ignited a firestorm of
protest.
[see "Don't
Honor John Murtha - Petition
The primary
reason for their ire stems from the congressman's statements in May, 2006, that
a squad of Marines who responded to an IED ambush and short firefight in
Haditha, Iraq, rampaged through the village, murdering civilians "in cold
blood."
Murtha made
those comments in the heat of the 2006 congressional mid-term election campaign,
in a move some political analysts saw as an attempt to stoke the anti-war vote
for a Democratic takeover of the House. The former Marine and distinguished
Vietnam veteran continued his accusations in follow-up media appearances before
an official Pentagon and Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation had
been completed.
When the dust
settled more than two years later, six of the eight Marines and Sailors accused
of crimes in the Haditha incident had their cases dismissed, one was found not
guilty and the last has been continued indefinitely.
The Navy did
not respond to a request for comment on the award or the backlash from veterans
groups by post time.
Murtha has
refused to recant his accusations or apologize to the Marines he accused of war
crimes. When asked by Military.com in late 2007 whether he regretted his initial
statements and owed the exonerated Marines and Sailor an apology, Murtha refused
to comment, saying the cases were still being adjudicated...
Research Center's Role
Faces Scrutiny - 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...
Bringing up ABSCAM
as Murtha's ethics are once-again investigated...
Not since the
FBI caught him on videotape
in the Abscam corruption probe nearly
three decades ago has
Murtha faced so many questions about his ethics.
In that 1980 sting
operation, agents captured Murtha on videotape turning down a $50,000 bribe
offer, while holding out the possibility that he might take money in the future.
"We do business for awhile, maybe I'll be interested and maybe I won't," Murtha
said on the tape.
Six congressmen and
one senator were convicted in the case. Murtha wasn't charged, but the
government named him an unindicted co-conspirator, and he testified against two
other congressmen....
Murtha flaunts constitution
as personal cover as FBI investigates...
Under
fire for his earmarking practices, Murtha wouldn't grant
CBS News an interview today. But he did
turn and address our camera while passing by in a hallway.
"That's the
Constitution of the United States," he said, holding up a pocket-sized copy.
"What it says is the Congress of the United States appropriates the money. Got
that?"
What he means is
Congress gets to decide how tax dollars are spent. Specifically, Murtha himself
often gets to decide. As head of the Defense Spending Committee he has the power
to steer hundreds of millions of tax dollars in earmarks to companies of his
choice.
But now the FBI is
asking whether people who have benefited from Murtha's earmarks have made
improper donations to his political campaigns...
PMA
lobbyist, relatives gave lawmakers $1.5 million since 2000...
March 16, 2009...
A defense lobbyist [Paul Magliocchetti] and his family made $1.5 million in
political contributions from 2000 through 2008 as the lobbyist’s now-embattled
firm helped clients win billions of dollars in fed eral
contracts. A sizable chunk of those campaign dollars went to the House members
who control Pentagon spending.
... The top
beneficiaries were a select group of Democratic members of the Defense
Appropriations Subcommittee, other allies of the top Pentagon appropriator in
the House, Rep.
John P. Murtha
, D-Pa., and the company’s own political action committee, which in turn
made contributions to many of the same lawmakers...
Inside
Murtha's 'earmark factory'
March 11, 2009...
At least 10 PMA lobbying clients have received funding via the EOC,
officials at the center acknowledged. Sources familiar with the
EOC’s operations said the total that went to PMA clients ran into
the “tens of millions of dollars.”
... Sources inside and outside EOC say that Murtha used the center
as a conduit for earmarks directed at Kuchera Industries, a
Pennsylvania-based company that was raided by federal authorities
earlier this year. In an April 28, 2006, e-mail to an EOC
employee, Harris said he had “been told to help Bill Kuchera for
nearly two years,” and that this direction “came directly from Mr.
Murtha.” ...
Murtha-linked PMA Lobbying Group
got earmarks from nearly 1/4 of House...
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.
... 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.
... Those House
members, plus a handful of senators, combined to route nearly $300 million in
public money to clients of PMA through that one law (PL 110-116).
And when the
lawmakers were in need — as they all are to finance their campaigns — PMA came
through for them.
According to
CQ MoneyLine,
the same House members who took responsibility for PMA’s earmarks in that
spending bill have, since 2001, accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign
contributions from PMA’s political action committee and employees of the firm...
3 lawmakers will
return campaign contributions from Murtha-linked PMA Lobbying Group...
Three lawmakers
said Tuesday that they were returning campaign contributions from donors listed
as employees of the PMA Group, a Washington lobbying firm whose founder is under
investigation for purportedly funneling money through bogus donors.
The decision by
the three lawmakers — Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, and Representatives Zoe
Lofgren of California and Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana, all Democrats — puts
new pressure on others who received cash from the PMA Group and its founder,
Paul Magliocchetti.
Other big
beneficiaries include Representative
John P. Murtha ,
the Pennsylvania Democrat who is chairman of the House defense appropriations
subcommittee; Representative James P. Moran, a Virginia Democrat on the panel;
and Representative Alan B. Mollohan, the West Virginia Democrat who is chairman
of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees the
National Aeronautics
and Space Administration , among other things.
Mr. Murtha, who
received the most donations from PMA’s employees and clients, was a mentor to
Mr. Magliocchetti, who was once on the staff of the defense appropriations
subcommittee. Mr. Murtha, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Moran and Mr. Mollohan have all
earmarked millions of dollars in federal money for the PMA Group’s clients.
Firm tied to Murtha (PMA
Group) closes PAC...
Feb.
13, 2009...
PMA Group, the
lobbying firm tied to Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) that was raided by federal
agents back in November, has closed its political action committee, the latest
sign of the company’s implosion.
... PMA’s PAC
was very recently a significant source of donations for lawmakers, especially
those on the House and Senate Appropriations committees. The PMA PAC disbursed
more than $378,000 last cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
But PMA has
essentially collapsed; most of PMA’s lobbyists have bolted the firm, with one
group breaking off to form its own lobbying outfit, while others have sought
employment with other lobbying organization...
FBI raids another firm with $$$ ties to Murtha -
PMA Group...
The
FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to
Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.
The FBI
searched the Virginia headquarters of the PMA Group in November, according to
the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. PMA was founded by former
Murtha aide Paul Magliochetti and specializes in winning earmarked taxpayer
funds for its clients...
... PMA is the
second company with close ties to Murtha to be raided by federal agents
recently. In January, agents from the FBI, the IRS and the Defense Criminal
Investigative Service searched the office of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera
Defense Systems, as well as the homes of the firms' founders. The companies
reportedly have received over $100 million in earmarks, thanks to Murtha's
efforts...
Murtha got big rescue
from pork donors in 2008
Lobbyists, Contractors
Funded Murtha’s Bid
When
John Murtha got in trouble in the 2008 election, he needed cash — badly. And
that’s precisely how he got it, according to a Roll Call report today.
Pork recipients flocked to their meal ticket when it looked as though accusing
his constituents of being racist rednecks might actually lose Murtha an
election, and a lobbying company run by a former Murtha staffer apparently
coordinated the effort:
Facing a surprisingly tough re-election challenge in
the closing days of his 2008 campaign, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) called on a
well-established network of his earmarking beneficiaries to bail him out. And
the defense industry contractors, several of whom had pulled down millions of
dollars in Murtha earmarks in the 2009 defense spending bill, responded by
flooding his coffers with what amounted to rescue cash.PMA Group Inc., a lobbying firm
founded by a former top Murtha aide that has emerged in recent years as a
leading source of the lawmaker’s campaign funds. Altogether, PMA employees and
their clients contributed more than $110,000 in the final two weeks of the
campaign. And while many of those outfits have operations in Murtha’s western
Pennsylvania district, nine out of every 10 of their checks dropped in from
outside the state...
More about PMA...
The nonpartisan
group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleges that Murtha
helped funnel $100.5 million to PMA clients in the fiscal 2008 defense
appropriations bill. CREW also noted that since the second quarter of 2007 PMA
and 10 of its clients kicked in almost $191,000 to Murtha's campaign coffers,
making them among the top 20 donors to the congressman...
The Kucheras-Murtha
connection
Defense
contractor office raided by FBI, IRS on Jan. 22, 2009...
Employees said
Kuchera's chief financial officer, Ron Kuchera, was present alongside
authorities during the raid.
Kuchera does
both industrial and defense-related work and employs nearly 300 local people.
Ron Kuchera and his brother Bill run the business.
Witnesses said
Bill Kuchera's private home and game preserve was also raided by federal agents.
Records
indicate he bought the 161-acre property in May 2006 for $800,000. LBK Game
Ranch is listed as a farm, dealing primarily with livestock and animal
specialties. It has two employees and brings in $150,000 annually.
Posted signs on
the property call it a "U.S. government test facility."
The Department
of Defense Inspector General's criminal division is heading the investigation.
The agency primarily investigates fraud crimes in which the government was
either a part to or a victim of...
Murtha, Kucheras Have
Multiple Business Dealings WJAC Uncovers Financial Relationship
Between Kucheras, Congressman Murtha ...
Kucheras Donated
Thousands To Penn. Representatives
...Since 2006,
the Kucheras nearly doubled the money they spent on a Washington-based lobbyist
with close connections to Rep. John Murtha.
During the same
period of time, they won $27 million in military contracts and $8 million in
federal earmarked from Murtha.
"(Murtha)
should be very alarmed they've taken over their book," said Melanie Sloan, of
Citizens For Ethics & Responsibility in Washington. "They are looking at the
campaign contributions. They are looking at the relationship between that
defense contractor and Mr. Murtha, and if there is anything questionable to be
found, the federal investigators will find it. So I would imagine that Mr.
Murtha is talking to his defense attorney about now."
2008
"THE OBSESSED" - liberal magazine 'The
New Republic' details Boot Murtha efforts
by Joshua Hersh
[EXCERPTS]... the recent criticism of Murtha masks a larger, more
intense phenomenon. The congressman, a Vietnam veteran who famously
turned against the Iraq War in 2005, has been the focus of an
obsessive campaign against him by right-wing activists, many of them
also veterans, for more than two years. They thought their campaign
had faltered, but Murtha's recent gaffe may give them the victory
they've long been seeking...
... Over the course of several months in the summer and fall of 2006,
Bailey made repeated trips to Johnstown. In August, he held a press
conference, where he declared, "I will do my best to Swift Boat John
Murtha." He bought up roadside advertising, with money from [Roger]
Hughes, depicting a cartoon boot kicking a caricature of Murtha, drawn
by Hughes's wife, Linda Eddy. And he organized an anti-Murtha rally,
which drew a thousand attendees from across the country, with speakers
including World Trade Center survivor Earl Johnson and David Beamer,
father of Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer.
The
big score for Operation Boot Murtha came in the early fall, when
Bailey and Hughes unearthed a videotape of a twenty-six year old FBI
sting in which Murtha could be seen apparently considering a bribe in
a public corruption scandal that would become known as ABSCAM.
... the Boot Murtha website continues to be updated, as do the
local anti-Murtha blogs. And Murtha's opponent, Bill Russell, has not
hesitated to use the groundwork from 2006 to bolster his campaign. He
has repeatedly called for Murtha to apologize for the Haditha comments
and, over the summer, produced a video advertisement featuring the
father of one of those marines. This week, the National Republican
Congressional Committee, thrilled at the chance to pick up a
Democratic seat, is
airing an ad quoting Murtha's Haditha statement along with his
more recent gaffes. In a recent e-mail
plea , Murtha begged contributors for $1 million in donations,
blaming "Swift Boaters" for the "brutal reelection campaign."
Meanwhile, Larry Bailey is contentedly watching Murtha struggle from
his home in Chocowinity. "I'm feeling really good about it," he says.
Roger Hughes and his wife, out in Iowa, are in talks to produce an
anti-Murtha book, in case Murtha goes on to win. And though they wish
the congressman no luck on November 4th, a defeat at the polls may not
fully satisfy them. "Being voted out of office wouldn't be enough,"
Hughes said. "This guy really deserves to go to jail."
Murtha: "No godddamned way" will a Virginia carpetbagger
Saturday Night Live mocks Murtha:
Poll leak: Russell 48%, Murtha 35%
from
Michelle Malkin :
A
Pennsylvania source has just leaked me brand spanking new poll data showing GOP
upstart Bill Russell leading John Murtha among over 800 probable voters by
48-35.
This comes on top of the Susquehanna poll showing Murtha
ahead of Russell by
4 points , within the margin of error.
The new poll is from Dane and Associates, which surveyed over
800 probable voters, randomly selected to reflect the district makeup, on
Wednesday night.
Murtha's hold on House seat slips to
just 4 points!
Past remarks labeling PA as 'racist' and 'redneck'
Democratic Rep. John Murtha leads
retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell by a little more than 4
percentage points, within the Susquehanna Poll's 4.9-point
margin of error. The poll of 400 likely voters was conducted
for the Tribune-Review on Tuesday, amid uproar over Murtha's
statement that some of his constituents are racist.
Stanley Shemanski, 67, a retired meat cutter who
lives in Apollo, said he's undecided about the congressional race. He doesn't
know much about Russell, but he's upset with Murtha's comment that racism in the
district could hurt Democrat Barack Obama's chances...
2nd
Haditha Marine prepares
to sue Murtha,
A local Marine cleared in the
deaths of civilians in Iraq says Congressman John Murtha made
public comments that were unproven, untrue and unfair.
Now, Lance Corporal Justin
Sharratt is planning to file suit in federal court against
Murtha on Thursday morning.
The suit accuses the congressman
of slander and violating the Marine's right to a fair trial
and due process.
Sharratt was one of eight Marines
charged after 24 Iraqi civilians were killed in Haditha. He
was charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder.
It's alleged in the lawsuit that
before the outcome of the case, Congressman Murtha made
slanderous comments.
Three years after the deaths,
seven of eight Marines have been cleared, including Sharratt.
There's now a website, JustinSharratt.com, to let the world
know that he has been cleared.
The eighth Marine is still waiting
for his day in court.
KDKA contacted Murtha's office for
comment on this suit but there's no word back from them yet.
Haditha Marine prepares
to sue Murtha, Time Magazine over smear
With
most of the eight
Marines charged in
the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the
highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a
lawsuit against Democratic Rep.
John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men
cold-blooded killers.
In
an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael
Savage, the lead
attorney for Lt. Col.
Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha
and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the
accusations by Iraqi insurgents...
The Time magazine story, according to
Rooney, was planted by an insurgent propaganda agent. Publishing of the story was
soon followed by a May 17, 2006, news conference by Murtha. The
congressman announced he had been told by the highest levels of the
Marine Corps there was no firefight and Marines "killed innocent
civilians in cold blood."
"All the information I get, it comes from the
commanders, it comes from people who know what they're talking about," Murtha
told reporters at the time.
Murtha's assertions, however, conflicted with
results from the military's own investigations. An initial probe by
Army Col. G.A. Watt found no
indications coalition forces "intentionally targeted, engaged and killed
noncombatants." Later, Army Maj. Gen. Aldon Bargewell found no cover-up.
Nevertheless, the Marine Corps eventually brought
charges against Chessani and seven other Marines.
But now the cases against Lance Cpls. Stephen Tatum
and Justin Sharratt, Capts. Randy Stone and Lucas McConnell and Sgt. Sanick P.
Dela Cruz have been dropped. First Lt. Andrew Grayson has been acquitted,
leaving only the case of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich untested in court and
Chessani prosecutors facing the hurdles of the appeal process.
WND previously reported a military jury of seven
officers acquitted Grayson of all charges.
The ruling by Col. Folsom yesterday followed a
previous decision in which he confirmed evidence of unlawful command influence.
The evidence indicated two generals who controlled
Chessani's case were influenced by Marine
lawyer Col. John Ewers, who was
allowed to attend at least 25 closed-session
meetings in which the case was
discussed...
Rooney was asked by Savage why he thought Murtha, a
former Marine himself, accused the officers and enlisted men.
"In my opinion, it's clear it was done during the
election cycle, it was done to bolster himself in the party," the attorney said.
"He was vying for a leadership position, and if he had to throw some Marines
under the bus to do so, that was the cost of power for him."
Haditha charges dropped against top Marine officer
Military Judge Col. Steven Folsom dropped all
charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who was accused of violating a lawful
order and
dereliction of duty , at a hearing at the
Camp Pendleton Marine base in Southern California.
Folsom's decision means that, out of eight Marines
originally charged in December 2006, six have won dismissals of their charges
and one has been cleared at court martial.
The accused ringleader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich,
still faces court martial. The proceedings against him, however, have been put
on hold pending the appeal of a pretrial ruling.
Folsom threw out the charges against Chessani, a
44-year-old Colorado native, after finding that a four-star general who oversaw
the case could have been influenced by an investigator who later became his
adviser.
Marine acquitted of all charges
in Haditha killings
A court martial on Wednesday
acquitted a US Marine for his role in the deaths of 24
civilians in Haditha in Iraq in 2005, the sixth man to be
exonerated in the affair, a military official said...
Lieutenant Andrew Grayson, 27, was declared
"not guilty on all charges" by a jury, said a spokesman for
the Camp Pendleton military base in southern California where
the hearing started on May 28.
Grayson had been charged with making false
statements and attempting to fraudulently separate from the
Marine Corps. He was also charged with obstruction of justice,
but the military judge dismissed this charge Tuesday...
... Six have now had charges against them
dropped, while charges of murder against squad leader Frank
Wuterich were changed to the lesser offense of manslaughter.
Wuterich faces trial later this year, along with Colonel Jeffrey
Chessani, the highest ranking officer accused over the incident who has been
charged with dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order.
Rep. Murtha, 75, calls McCain, 71, 'too
old'
"This one guy running is about as old as me," he said, drawing laughter and
applause. "Let me tell you something, it's no old man's job."
TheHill.com
Watchdogs plan to protest Murtha's fundraiser today
Three watchdog groups are planning to protest Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.)
fundraising event Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington, Va.
Every year, the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Defense panel
holds two fundraisers for his campaign: a dinner in February and a breakfast in
the fall. Both events garner a wide range of participation from defense industry
officials.
This year, however, Americans for Prosperity, Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) and the National Taxpayers Union are holding a rally in front of the
hotel where the fundraiser is being held to “display their displeasure with Rep.
Murtha ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz,’ ” according to a press release.
The groups called Wednesday’s event “a swanky fundraising dinner with
pork-barrel-seeking defense lobbyists.”
NewsMax.com
Murtha named
Top Porker for 2007
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) was named
"Porker of the Year" for 2007 on Wednesday by the taxpayer
watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).
The organization, which promotes
fiscal responsibility and federal earmarks reform, conducted an
online poll of 3,400 people about members of Congress. The often
controversial Murtha, chairman of the House subcommittee on
defense appropriations, won with 63.4 percent of the votes cast,
according to CAGW.
In FY 2008, which began last October,
Murtha secured 72 earmarks worth $149.2 million for his district,
according to CAGW.
"For flouting the rules and playing
games with reform, while filing spending bills with pork and
arrogantly threatening anyone that challenges his authority, Rep.
Jack Murtha is the 2007 Porker of the Year," the CAGW announcement
said.
A spokesman from Murtha's press office
could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
No other lawmaker came close to
Murtha's vote tally.
PBS Frontline
PBS 'Frontline' airs in-depth Haditha program
PBS's "Frontline" will air an in-depth program tonight at 9 about
the 2005 killings in Haditha, Iraq.
The piece, titled "Rules of Engagement," hopes to provide an
evenhanded look at the incident, which involved a squad of Marines
under Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, a former Meriden resident.
The Marines allegedly killed 24 Iraqis, some of whom may have been
insurgents, during the Nov. 19, 2005 incident. Wuterich has said
he and his men followed standard combat procedure.
The idea that the Haditha killings were a straightforward
massacre of innocents is incorrect, according to Arun Rath,
the producer, writer and director of "Rules of Engagement."
The initial media coverage - following an announcement by U.S.
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania that the Marines had killed
"innocent civilians in cold blood" - focused on the evidence
against the men, Rath told the Record-Journal Monday.
As evidence in the Marines' favor came out, however, there was
little additional coverage, he added. Wuterich is suing Murtha
for defamation.
The Frontline piece was originally going to focus on civilian
casualties in Iraq and only use Haditha as an example, Rath
said, but his investigation led him to believe there was more
to the killings than met the eye.
"The biggest dramatic detail compared to the initial version
was just how intense a day of fighting it was in Haditha,"
Rath said. "We do have a number of witnesses saying that (the
Marines) were coming under fire, including Iraqi witnesses. It
appears that this was an all-out insurgent push to retake the
town."
The program includes footage from an aerial drone that circled
the area during the incident and an interview with an
intelligence officer who explains the fight going on in
Haditha at the same time.
CQ Politics
Clinton and Obama advised to court Murtha personally ...
Some of the loyalists who orbit John P. Murtha , D-Pa., in the
back corner of the Democratic side of the House chamber are
holding off until their political godfather taps Obama or
Clinton...
... Murtha said he and fellow Pennsylvanians
Mike Doyle and Robert Brady will vote as a bloc.
“That’s what we’re going to do,” he said.
Brady backed him up and suggested there could
be more in that camp.
“Mr. Murtha speaks for a lot of us, including
myself,” he said. “If that’s what Mr. Murtha says, then I’m with
him.”
Kaptur, who serves on the Defense
Appropriations subcommittee with Murtha, said Clinton and Obama
should court Murtha personally.
“If I were the candidates, I would be asking
him,” she said. “I wouldn’t send emissaries.”
TPM Muckraker
The year in earmarks
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has
received campaign contributions from
each (sub. req.) of the 26 groups for whom he requested
earmarks in the recent defense spending bill. An analysis by
Roll Call shows that since the beginning of 2005,
PACs and employees of those groups have given Murtha $413,250,
of which $100,750 came "in the two weeks leading up to March
16, the original deadline for lawmakers to file their earmark
requests." (Roll Call)
Pittsburgh's WTAE, Channel 4 News
Critics believe Murtha-backed defense center a waste
A Team 4 investigation found millions of your
tax dollars going to a local government agency that many in
Washington, including President George W. Bush, believe is a waste.
But a powerful local congressman has kept the money flowing.
In July 1977, a flood devastated Johnstown, killing 80 people and
destroying the downtown. Many businesses never recovered,
including the Penn Traffic department store.
But in the early 1990s, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown,
persuaded Washington to move a new federal agency, the National
Drug Intelligence Center, into the old department store.
Now, more than 300 people work there, and it's one of Johnstown's
biggest employers.
"Our payroll represents several million dollars a year to the
Johnstown economy," said Michael Walther of the NDIC.
That's good for Johnstown, but critics said the NDIC has not been
good for taxpayers...
New York Times
Lawmakers put out new call for ear marks
Representative John P. Murtha, Democrat of Pennsylvania, obtained
$176 million in earmarks — more than any other House member except
Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, who is now a senator.
... More than 80 percent of Mr. Murtha’s earmarks were in the 2008
Defense Department spending bill. He is chairman of the
appropriations subcommittee where the bill originated.
Matt Mazonkey, a spokesman for Mr. Murtha, said he believed that
the $176 million figure was “too high,” but he refused to provide
his own tally.
Mr. Murtha’s re-election campaign is holding a fund-raiser for him
on Feb. 27 at a hotel in Arlington, Va., near the Pentagon. About
300 people, including many military industry lobbyists, plan to
attend. The invitation stipulates a contribution of $1,500 for an
individual and $5,000 for a political action committee.
Lobbyists often say they feel obliged to make campaign
contributions as a way of gaining access to lawmakers to present
their arguments on earmarks and other issues. Asked if there was
any connection between giving money to Mr. Murtha and receiving
earmarks, Mr. Mazonkey said: “Absolutely not. None at all.”
New York Times
Pork King Murtha keeps his crown
The new earmark disclosure rules put into effect by Congress
confirm the pre-eminence of Representative John Murtha at
procuring eye-popping chunks of pork for contractors he helped
put in business in Johnstown, Pa.
The Pennsylvania Democrat, a power player on defense
appropriations, exudes pride, not embarrassment, for
delivering hundreds of millions of dollars in largesse to
district beneficiaries. They, in turn, requite with hundreds
of thousands of dollars in campaign donations.
Mr. Murtha led all House members this year, securing $162
million in district favors, according to the watchdog group
Taxpayers for Common Sense.
200
7
Politico.com
Murtha's comments on 'surge' a problem for Democrats
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one of the leading anti-war voices
in the House Democratic Caucus, is back from a trip to Iraq
and he now says the "surge is working." This could be a huge
problem for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other
Democratic leaders, who are blocking approval of the full $200
billion being sought by President Bush for combat operations
in Iraq in 2008.
Murtha's latest comments are also a stark reversal from what
he said earlier in the year. The Pennsylvania Democrat, who
chairs the powerful Defense subcommittee on the House
Appropriations Committee, has previously stated that the
surge "is not working" and the United States faced a military
disaster in Iraq.
Murtha told CNN on July 12, following a Bush speech, that the
president's views on the success of surge in Iraq were
"delusional."
Murtha says surge is working in Iraq
"I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a
videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the
president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional
combat troops this year. But the Iraqis "have got to take care
of themselves."
Federal earmarks fill coffers of PA nonprofit John Murtha and Concurrent Technologies
EXCERPTS:
Concurrent Technologies began two decades ago doing
metalworking research in Pennsylvania's struggling rust belt. In the years
since, the Johnstown, Pa., company has become a federal contracting chameleon.
It is an intelligence adviser, an environmental consultant
and a software engineering specialist. It has trained mine-detecting dogs and
managed religion-based initiatives. It oversees construction projects, organizes
conferences and studies ways to use hydrogen for fuel in Pennsylvania and South
Carolina. Missile-defense research is part of its portfolio. So is the
development of special armor for combat vehicles in Iraq and "solid waste
technology" in Florida.
And it is a nonprofit charity.
Behind the rise of Concurrent is Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.),
chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee, who
helped arrange funding to launch the organization in 1988. Murtha has since
arranged millions of dollars more in directed congressional appropriations
called earmarks. Now Concurrent has nearly $250 million in annual revenue and
1,500 employees.
Concurrent is a prime example of how to marry entrepreneurial
savvy, influence on Capitol Hill and arcane procurement rules to create budget
magnets in congressional districts. Unlike many other big contractors,
Concurrent pays no income tax on most of its revenue. Unlike nonprofit,
federally funded research-and-development corporations, it is not chartered by
the federal government.
...
Concurrent's lobbying firm, PMA Group, is run by a former defense subcommittee
aide, Paul Magliocchetti. Since 1997, Concurrent has paid Magliocchetti and PMA
about $3 million for lobbying and consulting services, according to tax
documents filed with the government.
...
In the past four years, Congress has directed at least $226 million to
Concurrent in earmarks, according to records compiled by Taxpayers for Common
Sense. This year, Murtha and four other lawmakers proposed $18 million more in
earmarks for the firm.
pg. 1, Wall Street Journal
Murtha Inc. - How Lawmaker Rebuilt Hometown on Earmarks
EXCERPTS:
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- If John Murtha were a businessman, he'd be
the biggest employer in this town.
The powerful U.S. congressman has used his clout on Capitol
Hill to create thousands of jobs and steer billions of dollars in federal
spending to help his hometown in western Pennsylvania recover from devastating
floods and the flight of its steelmakers.
More is on the way. In the massive 2008 military-spending bill now before
Congress -- which could go to a House-Senate conference as soon as Thursday --
Mr. Murtha has steered more taxpayer funds to his congressional district than
any other member. The Democratic lawmaker is chairman of the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which will oversee more than $459
billion in military spending this year.
A review by The Wall Street Journal of dozens of such contracts funded by Mr.
Murtha's committee shows that many weren't sought by the military or federal
agencies they were intended to benefit. Some were inefficient or mismanaged,
according to interviews, public records and previously unpublished Pentagon
audits. One Murtha-backed firm, ProLogic Inc., is under federal investigation
for allegedly diverting public funds to develop commercial software, people
close to the case say. The company denies wrongdoing and is in line to get
millions of dollars more in the pending defense bill.
...
Mr. Murtha has steered at least $600 million in earmarks to his district in
the past four years , according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan
Washington group. The nonprofit group estimates he's sent $2 billion or more
to the district since joining the appropriations committee .
...
There's no evidence that Mr. Murtha personally profits from the hometown
spending he rams through Congress. He ranked No. 333 in net worth among the 435
members of the House in a 2005 analysis by the nonprofit Center for Responsive
Politics. But his campaign coffers have risen since he became chairman of the
defense-spending panel. In the first nine months of this year, Mr. Murtha's
campaign committees have reported contributions of more than $1.05 million .
CBS News
John Murtha's Kingdom of Pork
EXCERPTS:
the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Defense, has dubiously funneled billions of taxpayer
dollars to his hard-luck hometown.
...
Defense contractors have found that if they open an office
there and hire the right lobbyist, they can get lucrative,
no-bid contracts.
Career Army man to challenge Murtha
EXCERPTS:
After nearly three decades in the military, William T. Russell’s latest mission
has brought him to Johnstown.
The career Army man, just two years short of retirement, has left the service
and moved to the Flood City in order to mount a political campaign against
veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha...
...While Murtha’s encounters with wounded soldiers have
solidified his stance on Iraq, Russell said a similar
encounter left him with the opposite impression: To withdraw
from Iraq, he argues, would render the sacrifices of those
soldiers pointless.
“I think Mr. Murtha is just flat-out wrong,” Russell said.
The Republican also cites, as Irey did, Murtha’s public
accusation that U.S. Marines murdered innocent civilians in
the Iraq town of Haditha in 2005.
The congressman, Russell contends, is “playing right into the
hands of this enemy.”
On his Web site, Russell takes that line of thought a step
further and attempts to raise the stakes for next year’s
election.
“In this war against Islamic radicalism, the political battle
of the 2008 election in the Pennsylvania 12th Congressional
District is a critical turning point,” he said.
Murtha renew calls for war surtax
EXCERPTS:
Murtha renewed his call for a surtax to fund the Iraq War, an idea Pelosi has
shot down, and he cautioned against bringing up legislation to condemn the
Armenian genocide, a measure Pelosi supports.
On Wednesday, Pelosi appeared to acquiesce to one of Murtha's demands,
indicating that the vote on the Armenian bill was now in doubt.
Murtha tells Pelosi NOT to allow Turkish genocide vote
EXCERPTS:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 — Support for a House resolution
condemning as genocide the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 continued to
weaken today as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who only days ago vowed to bring the
measure to the floor of the House, signaled that she may be changing her mind.
“Whether it will come up or not, what the action will be,
remains to be seen,” Ms. Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill today. Her
uncertainty stood in sharp contrast to her earlier pledge to bring the measure
to the floor if it emerged from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which it
did a week ago by 27 to 21.
Worried about antagonizing Turkish leaders, House members
from both parties have been withdrawing their support from the resolution, which
had been backed by the Democratic leadership.
The measure’s prospects were weakened further today when
Representative John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who heads the
Appropriations subcommittee on military matters, spoke out against it.
“What happened nearly 100 years ago was terrible,” said Mr.
Murtha, who has urged the speaker not to bring up the resolution for a vote. “I
don’t know whether it was a massacre or a genocide, but that is beside the
point.
Al Qaeda and Haditha bombshell: What the
MSM didn't tell you by
Michelle Malkin
EXCERPTS:
You won’t hear about this from John Murtha, but you’ll read
it first on the Internet. Nathaniel Helms at
Defend our Marines has an exclusive report on the battle in Haditha that the
media ignored...
...Helms’ reporting is a damning indictment of the American
media as propaganda tools and fools.
Read the whole thing.
Make sure to fax a copy to John Murtha:
814-539-6229 — District
And, of course, don’t look for the NYTimes to put this on the
front page.
Al Qaeda In
Haditha
exclusive article by Nathan
Helms
EXCERPTS:
The
report – apparently overlooked by a Washington press corps awash in leaked
Bargewell documents and secret Naval Criminal Investigative Service reports –
shows that Marine Corps intelligence operatives were advised of the scheme to
demonize the Marines by an informant named Muhannad Hassan Hamadi. The informant
was snared by 3/1 Marines on December 11 2005 and decided to cooperate...
The prosecutors in the case against eight Marines charged
with murder and cover up at Haditha still maintain the besieged infantrymen
acted solely out of malice and poor judgment when they killed 24 Iraqis there.
The prosecution’s investigation was launched after a story by Time magazine
reporter Tim McGirk on March 6, 2006 accused the Marines of cold blooded murder
in retaliation for the death of a brother Marine.
McGirk received his video “evidence” and contacts from two
known Iraqi insurgent operatives already under observation by Marine Corps
counter intelligence teams. One of the Iraqi witnesses McGirk relied on had just
been released from almost six months captivity for insurgent activities and the
other witness was considered a useful intelligence tool by Marines listening to
him talk on his cell phone. McGirk never interviewed the Marines, who ironically
had prepared a similar intelligence summary in anticipation of his canceled
visit.
Marines recommend no murder charge in Haditha/Wuterich case
EXCERPTS:
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 4 (Reuters) - An investigating
officer has recommended that no murder charges be brought against U.S. Marine
Corps Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich in connection with a massacre of civilians in
the Iraqi town of Haditha in 2005, defense attorney Mark Zaid said on Thursday.
Murtha must testify in Haditha Marine's defamation case
EXCERPTS:
A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case
against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a
sworn deposition in the case.
A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 18-term congressman for
alleging ''cold-blooded murder and war crimes'' by unnamed soldiers in
connection with the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha.
The deaths became prominent in May 2006 when Murtha, who
opposes the Iraq war, said at a Capitol Hill news conference that a Pentagon war
crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians
in the town in 2005.
...
The Justice Department wanted the case dismissed because
Murtha was acting in his official role as a lawmaker. Assistant U.S. Attorney
John F. Henault said the comments were made as part of the debate over the war
in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer said the congressman
might be right, but said she won't know for sure unless Murtha explains himself.
She did not set a date for Murtha's testimony but said she would also require
him to turn over documents related to his comments.
''You're writing a very wide road for members of Congress to
go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons
and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?''
Collyer said, adding later, ''How far can a congressman go and still be
protected?''
Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are
immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political
careers.
Bob Novak: "King Corruption" Reigns
EXCERPTS:
Republicans returning to the House floor on Friday morning
Aug. 3 after their walkout the night before were surprised to
find as presiding officer the Democrat they call "King
Corruption": Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, master of
earmarks and backroom deals.
Murtha nabs $150M pork
EXCERPTS:
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Appropriations
defense panel, has secured the most earmarked dollars in the
2008 military spending bill, followed closely by the panel’s
ranking member Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.).
Even though Young secured 52 earmarks, worth $117.2 million —
and co-sponsored at least $27 million worth of others —
Murtha’s 48 earmarks amount to a total of $150.5 million,
according to a database compiled by the watchdog organization
Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS)...
...Murtha, the defense industry’s darling, has been known
throughout his tenure on the defense panel to shell out a
large number of earmarks. His biggest earmark in the bill is
$23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC),
a move that sparked a fierce fight with Rep. Todd Tiahrt
(R-Kan.), who earlier this year voted in a private meeting to
strip Murtha’s earmark.
The Bush administration requested $16 million to shut down the
center, which is in Murtha’s district, because it replicated
the work of a similar center...
...Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) got her share of pork
projects — 11 projects valued at $37.3 million.
Bob Novak: Sham Earmark Reform
EXCERPTS:
Considering the Interior Appropriations bill June 26, the
House kept alive 11 egregious earmarks. Rep. John Murtha, king of Democratic
earmarkers, kept $1.2 million for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage
Preservation Commission in Hollidaysburg, Pa. (by a 343 to 86 vote), and
$150,000 for W.A. Young & Sons Foundry in Greene County, Pa. (328 to 104) ...
...Moving on to Financial Services Appropriations June 28, the House voted
335 to 87 to continue Murtha's raid on the Treasury : $231,000 for the Grace
Johnstown (Pa.) Area Regional Industries Incubator.
Defense firms like Murtha's district
EXCERPTS:
As chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, the 17-term
Democrat is one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, and he uses that
power to deliver federal money to his congressional district as well as to his
political allies across the country...
...In 2005, 190
contractors in Mr. Murtha's district received $228 million in government
projects, placing the district in just 236th place among all 435 congressional
districts.
That's because large
defense companies do the bulk of their business elsewhere. Northrop, for
instance, has its corporate government relations offices in Arlington, Va., in
the district of Rep. James Moran, a Democrat who also sits on the appropriations
committee with Mr. Murtha. Mr. Moran's district ranked No. 1 on
fedspending.org 's 2005 list, garnering
close to $17 billion in contracts.
Marine's Parents Want Murtha Censured for Haditha Remarks
EXCERPTS:
The parents of a U.S. Marine accused
of killing three Iraqis execution-style in Haditha in
late 2005 said Thursday they would ask Congress to
censure Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for saying that the
Marines "overreacted" during the incident and killed
civilians "in cold blood."
"It's too late for an apology,"
Darryl Sharratt of Canonsburg, Pa., told Cybercast News
Service after the hearing officer in the case, Lt. Col.
Paul Ware, released an 18-page report recommending that
all charges against Sharratt's son, Lance Cpl. Justin
Sharratt, be dismissed because his actions "were in
accord with the rules of engagement and use of force."
Sharratt said that he, his wife
Theresa and other supporters of their 22-year-old son
were planning to visit Martha's office, and "we're going
to ask for more than an apology."
"We need this man censured by our
Congress," he said, because "he denied my son -- and the
other Marines involved -- their constitutional rights to
a fair trial and a presumption of innocence."
...
Roger Hughes, chairman of the
Presidential Watch Political Action Committee -- the
umbrella organization for the "Boot Murtha" and "Expose
Murtha" campaigns -- told Cybercast News Service that he
-- "unlike Murtha" -- would not comment on the Haditha
investigations.
He did say, however, that "Murtha's
remarks about the guilt of these people having killed
civilians in cold blood is very reminiscent of John
Kerry's Senate testimony" in 1971, when the current
senator from Massachusetts stated he'd heard Vietnam
veterans say they had "randomly shot at civilians" and
"razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis
Khan."
"That hasn't proven to be true,
either," Hughes added.
"Censure is too good for Murtha on
this alone," Hughes said, even without considering such
things in his past as questions regarding his war hero
status and involvement in the Abscam scandal.
Investigator: Drop Haditha charges against Sharratt
EXCERPTS:
July 10, 2007... CAMP PENDLETON – An
investigator has recommended that all charges be dismissed
against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, accused of killing three
Iraqis execution-style in Haditha.
In a
written report, Lt. Col. Paul Ware says the evidence shows that Sharratt's
actions on Nov. 19, 2005, “were in accord with the rules of engagement and use
of force.”
Army, manufacturer face criticism over combat vehicle Stryker
EXCERPTS:
"An Army vehicle controversial since it was
conceived in the late 1990s is facing mounting scrutiny from
military experts and a leading government watchdog amid a
recent spike of American casualties in Iraq.
"...since March, when Stryker brigades were
deployed in Iraq's violent Diyala province, casualties
associated with the vehicles have been rising steadily. They
have been found to be particularly vulnerable to automatic
weapons fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). One
infantry company stationed in Diyala lost five Strykers in
less than a week, the Associated Press reported last month.
"Still, about 700 soldiers and nearly 100
Stryker vehicles have been deployed to Diyala this year as
part of the "surge" of 30,000 additional U.S. troops."
Robert Novak column: Jack Murtha's friends
EXCERPTS:
"Murtha's earmark requests attest (as required by the new
reforms) that "neither I nor my spouse had any financial
interest" in either project. What he did not attest was that
officers and employees of Concurrent Technologies contributed
$56,475 to Murtha from the 2000 election cycle to the present.
That includes $4,500 from CEO and President Daniel DeVos and
$5,000 from Vice President Emil Sarady."...
...
"The test for Democrats is what they will do about Murtha now
that it is known he rewards contributors with federal funds."
Murtha sends Rep. Rogers an apology note
EXCERPTS:
"Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania sent a
note of apology to Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan Wednesday, the day
after a divided House denied Rogers a vote to officially reprimand the powerful
senior Democrat...".
"Members and aides on both sides of the aisle
continued to speculate that Rogers or another Republican will eventually call on
the ethics committee to formally investigate last week's flap, even after
Tuesday's partyline vote to prevent debate."
LA Times: Murtha's Misstep
EXCERPTS:
"It doesn't help the Democrats' image that this
dispute over Murtha's comments originated in an earmark, a
special-interest provision widely seen as part of the "culture
of corruption" decried by Democrats in the last election.
Rogers angered Murtha by trying to scuttle $23 million for the
National Drug Intelligence Center, located in Murtha's
district and regarded by the Bush administration as
duplicative of other agencies. "
Democrats avoid vote on reprimanding Murtha
EXCERPTS:
"Democrats managed to table a resolution
declaring that Mr. Murtha, somewhat incongruously referred to
as "the gentleman from Pennsylvania," had violated the
"safety, dignity or integrity of the House" in his treatment
of Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican from Michigan.
"The vote was 219 to 189, mostly along party
lines, with 13 lawmakers simply voting "present."
Pelosi defends Murtha Vs. GOP reprimand
EXCERPTS:
"Pelosi, D-Calif., said she had "no idea what actually happened" during a noisy
exchange in the House chamber last week between Reps. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and
Mike Rogers, R-Mich."
"What I do know is that Congressman Murtha has - enjoys - an excellent
reputation in the Congress on both sides of the aisle," said Pelosi..."
Dem. Rep. Murtha accused of ethics violation GOP Rep. Mike Rogers says Murtha vowed to block
funding for his district
EXCERPT:
"Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who for six years served as an FBI special
agent investigating public corruption as a member of the Chicago
bureau's organized crime unit, says that Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.,
chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on
defense, violated House ethics rules Thursday for threatening to strip
any funding for Rogers' projects after Rogers pushed for the
elimination of a government center in Murtha's home district."
Democrats bend rules, break pledge
EXCERPT:
"So far this year, Democrats have frequently prevented Republicans from offering
amendments, limited debate in the committee and, just last week, maneuvered
around chamber rules to protect a $23 million project for Rep. John P. Murtha
(D-Pa.)."
Murtha calls for return of the draft
video
EXCERPTS:
“I
vote against the volunteer army.”
“We
ought to not have a select few who volunteer.
“I
think [the draft is] absolutely needed
Dealing With Congressman Inc.
NY Times editorial points to corrupt Murtha
EXCERPT:
"As the Democrats regain power in Congress next week
they would be wise to look to one of their own — Representative John
Murtha of Pennsylvania — for ironic inspiration in enacting the ethics
reforms they promised voters. Even in the minority, Mr. Murtha made
himself a legend at mastering the same quid pro quo culture that
Democrats denounced in running against the Republicans’ manipulations
of Washington’s money trough. His deliverance of masses of pork to
favored campaign donors and lobbyists has been laid bare in a report
by The Washington Post, detailing the sort of classic money churn that
helped drive the Republicans from power."
200 6
Nonprofit Connects Murtha, Lobbyists
Pg. 1, Washington Post
EXCERPTS:
"For a quarter of a century, Carmen Scialabba labored for Rep.
John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), helping parcel out the billions of dollars that came
through the House Appropriations Committee, so when the disabled aide needed a
favor, Murtha was there.
"In 2001, Murtha announced the creation of Scialabba's nonprofit
agency for the disabled in Johnstown, Pa. The next year, with Scialabba still on
his staff, Murtha secured a half-million dollars for the group, the Pennsylvania
Association for Individuals With Disabilities (PAID), and put another $150,000
in the pipeline for 2003, according to appropriations committee records and
former committee aides. Since then, the group has helped hundreds of disabled
people find work.
"PAID has become a gathering point for defense contractors and
lobbyists with business before Murtha's defense appropriations subcommittee, and
for Pennsylvania businesses and universities that have thrived on federal money
obtained by Murtha.
"Lobbyists and corporate officials serve as directors on the
nonprofit group's board, where they help raise money and find jobs for
Johnstown's disabled workers. Some of those lobbyists have served as
intermediaries between the defense contractors and businessmen on the board, and
Murtha and his aides."
see Murtha-Haditha timeline
(click to enlarge)
Murtha video archive
"You know, we do business for a while,
Watch the full
5/17/2006Murtha
on Hardball:
says Marines
"killed innocent civilians
in cold blood " - before
the troops have even been
