PMA Battles Ex-Clients in Court

A year after being raided by the FBI, the now-defunct PMA Group lobbying firm continues to battle some of its former clients in court, two of whom argue that they shouldn’t have been expected to pay for lobbying services by a firm facing a criminal investigation.

At the same time, a Crystal City real estate firm is suing PMA and its founder, Paul Magliocchetti, for $6.5 million in lost rent.

The PMA Group is at the center of several ongoing investigations into the connection between earmarks and campaign contributions. FBI agents raided the firm in November 2008; after news of the raid broke in February, the firm closed its doors. The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the independent Office of Congressional Ethics are both investigating PMA’s ties to members of Congress, and the Justice Department has subpoenaed records from the office of Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) in connection with the probe.

Read more: (Paul Singer, “PMA Battles Ex-Clients in Court,” Roll Call, 12/10/09)