WP,pg1: Nonprofit Connects Murtha, Lobbyists: Ties to Pa. Group Mutually Beneficial

[DeepModem Mom]

Nonprofit Connects Murtha, Lobbyists
Ties to Pa. Group Mutually Beneficial
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 25, 2006; Page A01

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.

But the group serves another function as well. 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.

That arrangement over the years has yielded millions of dollars in federal support for the contractors, businesses and universities, and hundreds of thousands in consulting and lobbying fees to Murtha's favored lobbying shops, according to Federal Election Commission records and lobbying disclosure forms. In turn, many of PAID's directors have kept Murtha's campaigns flush with cash....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/24/AR2006122400919.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Oh my

You mean Murtha helped disabled people? How dare he. All that money was supposed to go to Bush's friends at Halliburton and Enron.

[robcon]

4. Murtha helped himself as well as the company

No news here. Move on.

[yankhadenuf]

7. Someone helped someone else

that's news now

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. So Murtha and the lobbyists helped people with disabilities

Wow what a scandal :sarcasm:

[Lasher]

3. Board interlocks are not exactly news.

If we were actually going to do something about them, now that would be a big news story.

Regardless, I fail to see how these interlocks are Murtha's fault. Looks like WaPo's creative talent has taken them far on this one, even to the insinuation of a quid pro quo: "In turn, many of PAID's directors have kept Murtha's campaigns flush with cash...."

[Ian David]

5. Yeah, but they called it PAID. That just SOUNDS dirty. Like calling it CREEP. n/t

[Joanne98]

6. Defense lobbyists are like the plague....

They won't stop until everybody's dead!