Allegations that Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha is corrupt are no shock to anyone. One of the most prodigious and proud porkers in Congress, Murtha, whom Nancy Pelosi supported for Majority Leader upon winning the Speaker’s gavel (thankfully the caucus overruled her and picked Steny Hoyer), has long been under the shadow of corruption. Last November, that shadow grew more looming when the FBI raided two offices with ties to the Democrat – who continues to serve as the House Appropriations Cardinal for Defense spending.
Today, Politico’s John Bresnahan has an in depth look at one of the firms the FBI raided. A few years ago the chic earmarks were to create “centers” to study anything from helicopter maintenance to the effects of hairspray on Guinea Pigs (here’s another one of Murtha’s “centers” I wrote about a few years back). Murtha may have been the most profligate in this arena but he was far from the only one indulging in such practices. In reality these “centers” are training grounds for local businesses on how to apply and gain earmarks. Clearly these grateful business owners – large and small — all want to thank their benefactor, as Bres so nicely tracks in his piece, leading to, well, some dubious connections that the FBI is still diligently sorting out.