Clients of a now-defunct defense lobby shop have raked in close to $317 million in earmarks for fiscal 2009.
The nonpartisan watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) compiled a database of earmarks received by clients of the PMA Group.
{mosads}PMA Group founder Paul Magliocchetti is reportedly under investigation for illegal campaign contributions made to lawmakers by PMA and its associates.
The FBI raided PMA’s Crystal City, Va., offices in November. The firm closed its doors at the end of March. Several former PMA lobbyists opened their own firms, attracting a good number of former PMA clients.
Meanwhile, the House ethics panel is also looking into the ties between PMA and lawmakers.
PMA, its associates and clients were hefty donors to Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.), Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.), Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) — all veteran defense appropriators.
Visclosky has been caught up in the PMA investigation — his offices and staff were subpoenaed by federal law enforcement. His former chief of staff, Chuck Brimmer, resigned shortly after he was subpoenaed on the case.
Murtha obtained the most earmarks for PMA clients in terms of value, according to TCS, winning six earmarks worth $16.2 million. The companies that received earmarks are: MTS Technologies, Parametric Technology Corp., Ardiem Medical, DRS Technologies and MobilVox.
Murtha is followed by Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the ranking member of the Appropriations Defense subcommittee, with five earmarks worth $14 million, and by Visclosky, with five earmarks worth $10.6 million.
Visclosky’s earmarks go to 21st Century Systems, NuVant Systems, Planning Systems and Advanced Concepts and Technologies. Young’s go to General Dynamics, Coda Octopus Group, Concurrent Technologies Corp. and DRS Technologies.
Scores of other lawmakers from both parties requested a laundry list of earmarks for PMA Group clients. According to TCS’s database, lawmakers requested a total of 139 earmarks for PMA clients.