Patrick Murphy Meets War Profiteers Tonight
They’re calling it a “Defense Industry Dinner”. A less polite, but more honest, description of the event would be “War Profiteer Pay-To-Play Lobbying Session”.
At this session, taking place tonight at a restaurant in Washington D.C., an old hand at the political game of footsie members play with military contractors will be introducing a young face to his contacts and financial supporters in the “defense industry”. Dutch Ruppersberger, a veteran on the House Appropriations Committee, which controls spending, is a sponsor for Patrick Murphy‘s coming out as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Patrick Murphy is supposed to conduct oversight over government contracts with the very companies that will be represented at tonight’s dinner, by military contractor executives, lobbyists, and PAC representatives. Those guests, having business before Patrick Murphy’s committee, will come with money to give to Murphy.
Murphy’s own email invitation suggests to these “defense industry” power brokers that they bring specific amounts of money – $1,000 for PAC representatives, for example, and $5,000 for anyone who wants the special attention that being a “host” of the event could bring.
Congressman Murphy will tell the people of the 8th congressional district that he’s working for them, but then, it isn’t the people of the 8th congressional district that Murphy is meeting with tonight, is it?
