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FW: Searches yesterday Wall Street Journal Page 1 of 2 FW: Searches yesterday Wall Street Journa! Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 10:25 AM b6,b7c Toi Thts artide appeared In the Ws) last Friday, January 23, 2009 Federal agents raided two small Pennsyivania defense contractors that were given millions of dollars in feders!n funding by Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the defense appropriations committee and one of the most powerful men in Congress. Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems shut down for the day after the rakd by officers from the Defense Crimlnal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an Internal Revenue Service. criminal unit. In a statement Thursday nlght, the Pittsburgh U.S. attorney confirmed that offices in Windber, Johnstown and Summerhill were raided "as part of an ongoing Investigatlon." A second federal official said that ties to lawmakers would be examined as part of the probe. A spokesman for Mr. Murtha, Matthew Mazonkey, said, "We know nothing more than what we've read in the Messages left last night for Kuchera executives weren't returned. News, photos and background on key players and Issues In the Obama administratlon's flrst 100 days from the WS and across the Web. .The Inauguration .The Economy . Advisers Foreign Affairs .Personal.Life .Obama Photos | Inauguratlon. Photos Pentagon auditors have been looking at the use of earmarks, which are specialinterest spending items directed to a speciflc company by members of Congress. An Oct. 30, 2007, page one story in The Wall Street Joumal identifled Rep. Murtha as the largest earmarker in the House. Meanwhile, a senior Democratic lawmaker is pushing back on the Obama administratlon's choice for the No. 2 Pentagon officlal because of potential conflicts of Interest and recent lobbying work for defense contractor. Raytheon Co. The new resistance comes a day after President Barack Obama unveiled tough lobbying rules to curtall such https://www.324mail.com/owa/?ae=Item&t=IPM.Note&id=RgAAAABIb%2bZ583cXQJf..1/26/2009 tn