Berry's Blog
Jim Moran Should Return over $80,000 in Tainted Campaign Contributions
I have released a study detailing how Jim Moran has received over $80,000 this year in campaign contributions from executives, PACs, and lobbyists of companies for which he requested earmarks totaling over $50 million. Such donations represent over twenty percent of the money raised this year by Congressman Moran.
Congressman Moran is currently under investigation in connection with the PMA Group scandal, where he allegedly took almost $1 million in campaign contributions from PMA Group lobbyists and clients and channeled over $10 million in earmarks to those clients. In light of this, one would have thought that he would have changed his behavior. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Rather, the evidence indicates that Congressman Moran is continuing to make earmark requests on behalf of his campaign contributors and is part of a “pay-to-play” culture one would expect to find in Rod Blagojevich’s Illinois, not here in Northern Virginia.
Congressman Moran should immediately return these tainted donations. In addition, the House Ethics Committee should expand its PMA Group investigation to include these contributions. Finally, today’s report highlights the need for Congress to end the practice of earmarking. Earmarks not only often fund wasteful projects; they are also contributing to an institutionalized culture of corruption in Washington, DC.
Download – Moran Earmarks and Contributions Study (pdf)
