VIDEO: Flake says alleged PMA scandal bigger than Abramoff

The lobbying group PMA’s having allegedly exchanged campaign contributions for lawmakers for securing earmarks for clients goes much deeper than the Jack Abramoff scandals, the House’s most tenacious Republican proponent of an ethics investigation charged Wednesday.

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has pushed six times for a House Ethics Committee investigation into PMA, said that the group’s involvement with lawmakers could be more extensive than the Abramoff scandal, which brought down several Republican lawmakers and staffers through conviction, resignation, retirement, and lost reelections.

“That was a big scandal, but I can tell you, it doesn’t touch the PMA scandal,” Flake said Wednesday on Fox News before attempting to introduce his 7th resolution seeking to open an Ethics Committee investigation. “This is much bigger, much more sophisticated, it goes much deeper into Congress.”

“What you have here on Capitol Hill is the ability of members to get no-bid contracts for their contributors, and that’s just not right,” he added.

A number of lawmakers have voted down the opening of an inquiry, which may involve investigation into House stalwarts like Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.).

“I have a feeling, that a few more tries and we’ll get there,” Flake explained. “I can offer these — the Democratic leadership of the Republican leadership can’t stop me from doing it. And so I plan to just keep offering it until we get the Ethics Committee to investigate.”

Watch a video of Flake’s interview below: