Flake bill helps expose defunct lobbying group influence

posted at 11:19 am on February 24, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Congress takes up a couple of bills this week that provide great insight into the way Washington DC works.  On one hand, they will consider a $400 billion omnibus-spending plan left over from the last session, one populated with thousands of earmarks.  At about the same time, Jeff Flake proposes that Congress study the corrosive effects of pork-barrel politics — and a lobbying group that disintegrated in the wake of a federal probe will be Exhibit A as they continue to get earmarks:

As lawmakers prepare to consider a $410 billion spending bill carrying pet projects for clients of a lobbying firm under FBI investigation, the House will vote as early as Tuesday on whether to start an ethics investigation into the relationship between earmarks and campaign contributions.

The vote could put majority Democrats and at least a few Republicans in an uncomfortable spot. They will have to choose between authorizing the House ethics committee to investigate the most delicate of political relationships or publicly voting against such a probe.

I’m sure that Rep. Flake is not terribly popular on Capitol Hill over this, but he’s rarely the belle of the ball anyway.  He has made some powerful opponents on the House floor with his crusade against pork and wasteful spending, on both sides of the aisle.  John Murtha has little use for him, but Murtha’s at the center of attention anyway, as is his pork crony Pete Visclosky (D-IN):

The timing of Flake’s call for a vote could hardly be less auspicious for Democrats. A list of Democratic-sponsored earmarks in the omnibus that are targeted to clients of PMA was circulating Monday night on Capitol Hill.

Flake’s office released a compilation of eight earmarks worth $7.7 million in the bill. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, sent out the same list and identified the individual sponsors of the earmarks as Reps. Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana, Tim Ryan of Ohio, John B. Larson of Connecticut, Brad Sherman and Jane Harman of California, Stephen F. Lynch of Massachusetts and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri. Reps. Mike Doyle and Jason Altmire , both of Pennsylvania, were identified as cosponsors of one earmark.

All but one of those earmarks is in the section of the bill written by the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, which is headed by Visclosky.

Visclosky got over $219,000 from PMA over the last eight years, thanks mainly to his efforts to stuff federal monies into the pockets of PMA clients.  The feds took a great deal of interest in this lately and raided PMA’s offices.  Not coincidentally, most of its staff quit, and PMA has all but closed its doors while waiting to see what the feds will do.

Rep. Flake may not be popular in the halls of Congress, but he should be one of the most popular politicians outside of the Beltway for his tireless efforts to expose and end corruption.

Update: Visclosky represents Indiana, not Illinois.  My apologies for the typo.

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