IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 312 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 1, 2009 

Mr. FLAKE submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the table 

RESOLUTION 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

Whereas The Hill reported that a prominent lobbying firm, 

founded by Mr. Paul Magliocchetti and the subject of a 

‘‘federal investigation into potentially corrupt political 

contributions’’, has given $3.4 million in political donations to no less than 284 Members of Congress; 

Whereas the New York Times noted that Mr. Magliocchetti 

‘‘set up shop at the busy intersection between political 

fund-raising and taxpayer spending, directing tens of millions of dollars in contributions to lawmakers while steering hundreds of millions of dollars in earmark contracts 

back to his clients.’’; 

Whereas a quest columnist recently highlighted in Roll Call 

that ‘‘. . . what [the firm’s] example reveals most clearly 

is the potentially corrupting link between campaign contributions and earmarks. Even the most ardent 


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HRES 312 LTH 

earmarkers should want to avoid the appearance of such 

a pay-to-play system.’’; 

Whereas multiple press reports have noted questions related 

to campaign contributions made by or on behalf of the 

firm; including questions related to ‘‘straw man’’ contributions, the reimbursement of employees for political 

giving, pressure on clients to give, a suspicious pattern 

of giving, and the timing of donations relative to legislative activity; 

Whereas Roll Call has taken note of the timing of contributions from employees of the firm and its clients when it 

reported that they ‘‘have provided thousands of dollars 

worth of campaign contributions to key Members in close 

proximity to legislative activity, such as the deadline for 

earmark request letters or passage of a spending bill.’’; 

Whereas the Associated Press highlighted the ‘‘huge amounts 

of political donations’’ from the firm and its clients to select Members and noted that ‘‘those political donations 

have followed a distinct pattern: The giving is especially 

heavy in March, which is prime time for submitting written earmark requests.’’; 

Whereas clients of the firm received at least $300 million 

worth of earmarks in fiscal year 2009 appropriations legislation, including several that were approved even after 

news of the FBI raid of the firm’s offices and Justice 

Department investigation into the firm was well known; 

Whereas the Associated Press reported that ‘‘the FBI says 

the investigation is continuing, highlighting the close ties 

between special-interest spending provisions known as 

earmarks and the raising of campaign cash.’’; and 


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Whereas the persistent media attention focused on questions 

about the nature and timing of campaign contributions 

related to the firm, as well as reports of the Justice Department conducting research on earmarks and campaign 

contributions, raise concern about the integrity of Congressional proceedings and the dignity of the institution: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Committee on Standards of Official 

3 Conduct, or a subcommittee of the committee des4 ignated by the committee and its members appointed 

5 by the chairman and ranking member, shall imme6 diately begin an investigation into the relationship 

7 between the source and timing of past campaign 

8 contributions to Members of the House related to 

9 the raided firm and earmark requests made by 

10 Members of the House on behalf of clients of the 

11 raided firm; and 

12 (2) the Committee on Standards of Official 

13 Conduct shall submit a report of its findings to the 

14 House of Representatives within 2 months after the 

15 date of adoption of the resolution. 

Æ 


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