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FW: Searches yesterday Wall Street Journal Page 1 of 2 FW: Searches yesterday Wall Street Journal a: Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 10:25 AM bé b7e to Ga 2 Reet mat el nr ee ne ean This article appeared In the WS) last Friday, January 23, 2009 Sable tathesneteland lenaad etaechantentenaenabenbaanenammamanbansenmte anand otenaaitammenied LE RN A AR PI LPL I POT NTR Federal agents raided two small Pennsyivania defense contractors that were given millions of dollars in federal funding by Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the defense appropriations committee and one of the most powerful men in Congress. Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems shut down for the day after the raid by officers from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an Internal Revenue Service criminal unit. In a statement Thursday night, the Pittsburgh U.S. attorney confirmed that offices In Windber, Johnstown and Summerhill were raided “as part of an ongoing Investigation.” A second federal official said that ties to lawmakers would be examined as part of the probe. A spokesman for Mr. Murtha, Matthew Mazonkey, said, "We know nothing more than what we've read In the press today,” referring to an initial report on the Web site of the Tribune-Democrat newspaper in Johnstown. Messages left last night for Kuchera executives weren't returned. | News, photos and background on key players and Issues In the Obama administration's first 100 days from the WS] and across the Web. The Inauguration The Economy Foreign Affairs Obama Photos | Inauguration Photos Pentagon auditors have been looking at the use of earmarks, which are speciat-interest spending items directed to a specific company by members of Congress. An Oct. 30, 2007, page-one story in The Wall Street Journal identified Rep. Murtha as the largest earmarker in the House. Meanwhile, a senior Democratic lawmaker is pushing back on the Obama administration's choice for the No. 2 Pentagon official because of potential conflicts of interest and recent lobbying work for defense contractor Raytheon Co. The new resistance comes a day after President Barack Obama unveiled tough lobbying rules to curtall such https://www.324mail.com/owa/7ae=Item&t=IPM.Note&id=REAAAABID%2bZ583cXQIE... 1/26/2009 4?