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Congressional Ethics Office recommends no sanctions against Murtha Friday, December 18, 2009 By Daniel Malloy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WASHINGTON -- The Office of Congressional Ethics has closed its corruption investigation into U.S. Rep. John Murtha and recommended no sanctions against the Johnstown Democrat. Mr. Murtha received a letter this month that the Ethics Office would not recommend further investigation by the House Ethics Committee, according to a congressional source with knowledge of the investigation. The investigation had focused on a relationship betweeen Mr. Murtha and the lobbying firm PMA Group. PMA was founded by Pittsburgh native Paul Magliocchetti, a former appropriations committee staffer and friend of Mr. Murtha. The firm closed this spring after federal agents searched its offices and Mr. Magliocchetti's home to look for evidence that he used friends and family to steer donations to members of Congress, in violation of campaign finance laws. Sources have told the Post-Gazette that federal investigators have asked Mr Magliocchetti about Mr. Murtha. Congressional probes focused on potential ties between federal earmarks and campaign donations to members of the defense appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Mr. Murtha. Created by Congress in 2008, The Office of Congressional Ethics is a group comprised of private citizens that can look into alleged wrongdoing by members of Congress and make recommendations to the Ethics Committee. In this case, it recommended that there be no further investigat Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09352/1022148- 100.stm?cmpid=Iatest.xml#ixzz0ccYUuQcv 46A-PG-77123 -121