Pay to play. It's never really been a secret in Washington, D.C., but the egregiousness of this practice is just starting to rear its ugly head.

In today's Roll Call , it is being reported that longtime Rep. Jack Murtha's (D-PA) campaign was well funded by those for whom he secured earmarks. When he was in the fight for his political life last fall, Rep. Murtha cashed in chips he had accumulated through earmarking.

As you know, I've long railed against this practice. It's completely unethical, irresponsible and an incredible waste of your tax dollars. Governor Blagojevich's recent scandal in allegedly trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat is just another example of the 'Pay to Play' mentality. It's time we end this practice once and for all.

With the new administration's focus on change, I've offered a new piece of legislation aimed at cutting the connection between earmarks and campaign contributions by clarifying that campaign contributions do, in fact, constitute a "financial interest" that often influence congressional earmarking. A piece ran in today's Roll Call about my efforts. I encourage you to read it below.

Murtha Got Payback in '08

January 27, 2009

By Tory Newmyer, Roll Call Staff

Facing a surprisingly tough re-election challenge in the closing days of his 2008 campaign, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) called on a well-established network of his earmarking beneficiaries to bail him out. And the defense industry contractors, several of whom had pulled down millions of dollars in Murtha earmarks in the 2009 defense spending bill, responded by flooding his coffers with what amounted to rescue cash.

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is pushing a rules change to clamp down on lawmakers fundraising from earmark recipients, said recent revelations about the extent of the practice highlight the need to restrict it.

"Pay to play is rampant in the earmarking process, and it needs to stop," he said.

 For the full article, please click here.

Flake Bids for Ban on Earmarks
January 27, 2009
By Steven T. Dennis and Tory Newmyer, Roll Call Staff

The pay-to-play scandal involving impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and his alleged shakedowns for campaign contributions has inspired a fresh effort by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to throw a wrench into Capitol Hill's earmark machine.

Flake's proposed rules change would ban Members from proposing earmarks if they received campaign contributions from anyone related to the company getting the earmark, including lobbyists, company employees and political action committees.

Reporters and watchdog groups have reported numerous instances of lawmakers funneling millions to their campaign benefactors by cross-referencing campaign finance data with earmark disclosures, and Flake believes that it is just a matter of time before a Blagojevich-like scandal explodes in Washington, D.C.

Flake said the Blagojevich scandal reveals that federal prosecutors are now serious about pursuing corruption stemming from the solicitation of campaign donations — a development that should worry Members of Congress.

"My first thought was that Blagojevich was a rookie compared to what goes on around this place," he said. "We've been whistling past the Justice Department, assuming that the House ethics guidance, written by our colleagues, will protect us from prosecution. I'm just trying to bring our own practice in line with what seems to be reality. I think this is the quickest way to do it."

Legislation, he said, could prompt First Amendment challenges.

He said he believes transparency rules applied at the start of the previous Congress have already had a chilling effect on fundraising from earmark recipients — but lawmakers hoping to rein in the practice need more tools to do so. "We're not much for shame," he said.

For the full article, please click here.