Who will take John Murtha's place 'Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians'?

The death of Democrat Rep. John D. Murtha, 77, has been announced. Murtha, a former Marine, is most recently remembered for outspoken objections to the war in Iraq, a war he voted to approve. In his book, "From Vietnam to 9/11, Murtha wrote,

"Ever since I was a young boy, I had two goals in life—I wanted to be a colonel in the Marine Corps and a member of Congress,"

His dream to be a colonel in the Marine Corps was realized plus he was recipient of a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. In 1974, Murtha became the first veteran of the Viet Nam war to be sworn in as an elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Murtha's death is certain to resurrect many of the scandals, in which he was involved, during his 36 year political career. Murtha's name made #9 on the infamous List of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009, released by Judicial Watch, Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law - whose motto is "Because no one is above the law". Below are the reasons cited by Judicial Watch, Inc. which led to John Murtha's inclusion:

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven: Rep. John Murtha made headlines in 2009 for all the wrong reasons. The Pennsylvania congressman is under federal investigation for his corrupt relationship with the now-defunct defense lobbyist PMA Group. PMA, founded by a former Murtha associate, has been the congressman's largest campaign contributor. Since 2002, Murtha has raised $1.7 million from PMA and its clients. And what did PMA and its clients receive from Murtha in return for their generosity? Earmarks -- tens of millions of dollars in earmarks. In fact, even with all of the attention surrounding his alleged influence peddling, Murtha kept at it. Following an FBI raid of PMA's offices earlier in 2009, Murtha continued to seek congressional earmarks for PMA clients, while also hitting them up for campaign contributions.

According to The Hill, in April, "Murtha reported receiving contributions from three former PMA clients for whom he requested earmarks in the pending appropriations bills." When it comes to the PMA scandal, Murtha is not alone.

As many as six other Members of Congress are currently under scrutiny according to The Washington Post. They include: Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-VA), Norm Dicks (D-WA.), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS.).

Of course rather than investigate this serious scandal, according to Roll Call House Democrats circled the wagons, "cobbling together a defense to offer political cover to their rank and file." The Washington Post also reported in 2009 that Murtha's nephew received $4 million in Defense Department no-bid contracts: "Newly obtained documents…show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual power with the military."

But earlier scandals also point to Murpha's tendency to get himself in hot water if it involved money. The Associated Press report of his death added:

Murtha's critics recall the Abscam corruption probe, in which the FBI caught him on videotape in a 1980 sting operation turning down a $50,000 bribe offer while holding out the possibility that he might take money in the future.

"We do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested and maybe I won't," Murtha said on the tape.

Six congressmen and one senator were convicted in that case. Murtha was not charged, but the government named him as an unindicted co-conspirator and he testified against two other congressmen.

Though the scandals aren't something most would want to be remembered by: nevertheless, in life Murtha didn't shy from his title of "King of Pork, defiantly dismissing all criticisms when he stated, "dealmaking is what Congress is all about. One can only guess how he actually felt about being called a "traitor" by Marines who he accused of murdering innocent civilians"in cold blood" at Haditha, Iraq after one Marine died and two were wounded by a roadside bomb.

John Murtha's death leaves many questions unanswered even as his praises will be sung. Did he die with regrets or pride in his service as a congressman? Did Murtha ever regret his rash accusation of his fellow Marines? The only answer we are sure to discover is who will take his place on the list of most corrupt in Washington.

RIP John Murtha.
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