WASHINGTON — Nearly half the members of the House subcommittee that oversees more than $600 billion in Pentagon spending have been targeted by ethics investigators who are probing the conduct of a once-influential Washington lobbying firm, according to a confidential document that the House Ethics Committee says was inadvertently exposed.
The seven members -- five Democrats and two Republicans -- received campaign donations from clients of the firm while sponsoring federal spending on projects that benefited the clients. The revelations from the secretive ethics committee could have serious consequences for the members named. Republicans quickly indicated that they would use the disclosures in their effort to take control of the House in next year's congressional election.
The document, prepared by the ethics committee in July, reportedly detailed a number of active ethics inquiries into House members.
The investigations were reported by the Washington Post, which obtained the ethics report after a committee staffer uploaded it to a file-sharing network, the committee said. Ethics committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) confirmed that a confidential committee document had been exposed to unauthorized access.
Responding to what they described as a "data breach," Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) promised an "immediate and comprehensive assessment" of the House's handling of sensitive information.
The appropriations subcommittee on defense has been under scrutiny since federal agents raided the now-defunct lobbying firm PMA Group late last year. In June, the probe widened as the FBI subpoenaed records relating to PMA from the office of Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-Ind.), a subcommittee member who sponsored millions in earmarks that benefited PMA clients. No charges have been filed.
The firm was founded by longtime Pentagon lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, a former appropriations subcommittee staff member. Over the years it obtained for its clients billions of dollars in earmarks -- many of which were sponsored by members of the subcommittee. The firm's lobbying income peaked at $16 million in 2006. PMA and its clients showered subcommittee members and other members of Congress with campaign contributions.
