FBI raids lobby firm with Murtha ties

By Susan Crabtree

The FBI raided the offices of a PMA Group, a powerful lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.).

PMA Group spokesman Patrick Dorton confirmed the raid in a statement Monday afternoon.

"Government representatives did come to the PMA offices," Dorton said. "They requested a number of different kinds of information. The firm is cooperating with their requests."

The raid took place in November in PMA’s Virginia headquarters, according to an ABC News report.

The firm specializes in obtaining defense earmarks for its clients, which have received hundreds of millions of dollars.

In fact, in 2008, PMA clients received $299 million worth of earmarks, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS). Murtha has been credited with obtaining many of them. Small defense firms located in or near Murtha’s district make up a major portion of PMA Group’s clients. Paul Magliochetti, a former top appropriations staffer who worked closely with Murtha and other senior members of the spending panel, founded PMA group.

It is unclear whether Murtha is a target of the federal investigation. Murtha spokesman Matthew Mazonkey told ABC News the congressman had not been contacted by the FBI and does not believe he's the target of an investigation. "I'm not going to waste my time with sensationalized journalism," Mazonkey said.

PMA Group is the second lobbying firm with close ties to Murtha the FBI has raided in recent months. In January, agents from the FBI, IRS and Defense Criminal Investigative Service searched the offices of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems, as well as the homes of the firms executives.

Murtha has reportedly directed more than $100 million in earmarks to the Kuchera firms.

According to TCS, which tracks earmarks and lawmakers who obtain them, Murtha tied Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) in obtaining the most earmarks for PMA Group’s clients in 2008. Each came in with a total of 16 earmarks. Rep Bill Young (R-Fla.) came in second with nine earmarks for PMA Group clients while Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) won eight earmarks for PMA Clients.

TCS has not compiled this data yet for FY 2009.