February, 26 2010, 12:02pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Matt Jacob // 202.408.5565
CREW Issues Statement on House Ethics Committee's Findings in PMA Probe
The House Ethics Committee today formally ended its investigation
into seven members of Congress with troubling ties to the now-defunct
lobbying house PMA Group. Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens
for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said today, "What a
surprise that the Ethics Committee would once again clear members of
Congress of wrongdoing. Apparently, in the committee's view, no member
of Congress ever earmarks as a result of a campaign contribution.
Of course, the committee also determined that PMA Group lobbyists and
their clients universally believed that the chances of obtaining an
earmark were directly related to the amount of campaign contributions
they made to members of Congress. But, hey, why let a little
inconsistency like that get in the way of clearing members of
wrongdoing - the raison d'etre of the committee."
WASHINGTON
The House Ethics Committee today formally ended its investigation
into seven members of Congress with troubling ties to the now-defunct
lobbying house PMA Group. Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens
for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said today, "What a
surprise that the Ethics Committee would once again clear members of
Congress of wrongdoing. Apparently, in the committee's view, no member
of Congress ever earmarks as a result of a campaign contribution.
Of course, the committee also determined that PMA Group lobbyists and
their clients universally believed that the chances of obtaining an
earmark were directly related to the amount of campaign contributions
they made to members of Congress. But, hey, why let a little
inconsistency like that get in the way of clearing members of
wrongdoing - the raison d'etre of the committee."
Click here to read the Ethics Committee's statement, and click here to read the report.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach.
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