Since 2008, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby has steered more than $250 million in earmarks to beneficiaries whose lobbyists used to work in his Senate office - including millions for Alabama universities represented by a former top staffer.
In a mix of revolving-door and campaign finance politics, the same organizations that have enjoyed Shelby's earmarks have seen their lobbyists and employees contribute nearly $1 million to Shelby's campaign and political action committee since 1999, according to federal records.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group that compiled the data on Shelby's earmarks and campaign contributions, believes that Shelby's actions are similar to the favor trading that clouded the tenure of late Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha.
“Sen. Shelby, like Rep. Murtha before him, takes trading earmarks for campaign dollars...
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