IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 286 
Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 25, 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 
specializing in obtaining defense earmarks for its clients, 
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 Con-
gress; 
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’’ con-
tributions, the reimbursement of employees for political 
giving, pressure on clients to give, a suspicious pattern 
of giving, and the timing of donations relative to legisla-
tive activity; 
Whereas Roll Call has taken note of the timing of contribu-
tions from employees of the firm and its clients when it 
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HRES 286 LTH 
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 CQ Today specifically noted a Member getting 
‘‘$25,000 in campaign contribution money from [the 
founder of the firm] and his relatives right after his sub-
committee approved its spending bill in 2005.’’; 
Whereas the Associated Press also noted that Members re-
ceived campaign contributions from employees of the firm 
‘‘around the time they requested’’ earmarks for compa-
nies represented by the firm; 
Whereas clients of the firm received at least $300 million 
worth of earmarks in fiscal year 2009 appropriations leg-
islation, 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; 
and 
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 De-
partment conducting research on earmarks and campaign 
contributions, raise concern about the integrity of Con-
gressional proceedings and the dignity of this institution: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct, or a subcommittee of the committee des-
ignated by the committee and its members appointed 
by the chairman and ranking member, shall imme-
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diately begin an investigation into the relationship 
between the source and timing of past contributions 
to Members of the House related to the raided firm 
and earmark requests made by Members of the 
House on behalf of clients of the raided firm; and 
(2) the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct shall submit a report of its findings to the 
House of Representatives within 2 months after the 
date of adoption of this resolution. 
Æ 
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