PMA, Clients Shared Deep Ties

The PMA Group, the lobbying firm with close ties to key House Democrats that was raided by the FBI last fall, has deep financial ties with many of the firms that it was lobbying for, according to a Roll Call review of financial records.

Ethics experts say there is no prohibition on a lobby shop having a direct financial interest in its client firms, but the relationships underscore PMA’s ability to bundle tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for favored lawmakers.

The PMA Group was one of Washington, D.C.’s top 10 lobbying firms, but it has disintegrated in the wake of an FBI raid last fall. The government is apparently investigating whether some of the campaign donations made by people affiliated with the firm were improper.

But top PMA officials also had financial stakes in several of the companies that PMA was helping to obtain earmarks. Those companies were prolific donors to Members of Congress supported by PMA, with employees of the various firms producing tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to a handful of Members, frequently making their donations to the same campaign on the same day.

Read more: (Paul Singer, “PMA, Clients Shared Deep Ties,” Roll Call, 3/17/09)