Indictment: Magliocchetti Reimbursed Family, Staff for Contributions

A former House Appropriations Committee staffer who founded one of the top lobbying firms in Washington, D.C., was arrested Thursday and charged with making hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fraudulent campaign contributions to Members of Congress.

Paul Magliocchetti, the founder of the PMA Group lobbying firm, was indicted on eight counts of making illegal campaign contributions and three counts of making false statements. The firm was raided by the FBI in November 2008 and shut its doors in March 2009.

According to the indictment, Magliocchetti used his own funds and PMA corporate money to reimburse PMA staff, family members and two Florida acquaintances for making donations to political committees at his direction. Magliocchetti and his family made $1.5 million in political contributions from 2000 through 2008, according to a CQ MoneyLine study of campaign finance records.

Magliocchetti’s attorney was not immediately available for comment.

Magliocchetti, who made an initial appearance in Alexandria federal court Thursday, was released on a $2 million bond and surrendered his passport, according to Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman. He was released to stay at a mental health center in Baltimore and may receive treatment for alcoholism.

He must remain in the Washington metro area except to travel to his home in Florida and is not to have contact with any potential witnesses, with the exception of his son Mark Magliocchetti, with whom he isn’t to discuss the case. Mark Magliocchetti pleaded guilty Thursday to making illegal corporate campaign contributions at the direction of his father.

Read more: (Paul Singer, “Indictment: Magliocchetti Reimbursed Family, Staff for Contributions,” Roll Call, 08/05/2010)