Rep. John Murtha’s nephew benefited from defense contracts

Robert Murtha for years has made a sizable living working with companies that rely on Pentagon contracts over which his uncle, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), holds considerable sway.

He has maintained that his uncle played no role in his defense-related work, much of it secured without competition. Newly obtained documents, however, show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual power in his dealings with the military.

The documents add to mounting questions about Rep. Murtha, whose use of federal earmarks to help favored defense companies and his relationship with a former lobbying firm, PMA Group, are under scrutiny by federal investigators. The congressman has used his control over Pentagon funds to build a hub of defense-related industry in his congressional district and has won generous campaign donations from the companies.

Robert Murtha, an engineer, benefited from some of the defense contracts when companies brought him in to manage a small portion of the work. Even when the main contract shifted to a new company, he continued to be paid as part of that work.

Some former business associates and employees told the Washington Post they thought the role played by Robert Murtha’s companies was unnecessary.

Jeff Curtis, an engineer who worked for Robert Murtha’s company in 2001, said that he and some co-workers did virtually no work on a project to make kits to test for biological agents. Curtis said he remained “furious” that taxpayer dollars were wasted.

In e-mails obtained by the Post, Robert Murtha told a business partner in 2001 that there were conditions for “keeping funds flowing.” Part of the federal work, he said, must be channeled to Johnstown, Pa., his uncle’s hometown.

“This has been a requirement for what I do to get dollars through,” Robert Murtha wrote in an e-mail to a senior company official with National Micrographic Services Imaging Inc. of Silver Spring, Md., the lead contractor on a project to produce biological weapons test kits.

Robert Murtha, 49, recently called it “unfortunate” that some critics assume his family ties led to government contracts.

“We do good work,” he said. “If we’re not doing our job well, we wouldn’t be doing our job.”

He did not respond to requests for comments on the e-mails or his dealings with contractors.

Rep. Murtha’s office requested questions in writing but did not respond to them. Murtha, the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, repeatedly has defended his efforts to bring defense jobs to the economically depressed Johnstown area.