Two Former Drug Dealers Linked to Murtha-Backed Firm

[bijou]

Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., steered millions of dollars in defense work to a campaign donor and the Pentagon went along with it, despite the fact that two convicted drug dealers had been deeply involved with the company.

Records filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh starting in 2005 raise questions about whether the government ever checked into the background of William Kuchera of Windber, Pa., a Murtha constituent who has been doing government work for over 20 years.

The records point to the political peril of Murtha and other members of Congress directing federal funds to particular contractors, an oft-criticized process known as earmarking that has added hundreds of billions of dollars to the defense budget in recent years.

The companies owned by William Kuchera and his brother -- Kuchera Defense Systems and Kuchera Industries Inc. -- have received $53 million in federal contracts in this decade alone.

According to the court records, Kuchera was convicted of marijuana distribution in 1982 in Wisconsin.

In addition, a man who describes himself as an early partner in Kuchera's business in the 1980s is a convicted cocaine dealer who has served two terms in prison, according to the records. ...

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[DumbAss Tanker]

The Pentagon has very little choice in these things, Congress gets to approve General Officer appointments much like Federal Judiciary ones, (Except it is not just the Senate for the Generals, but both houses) and like the Judiciary, any one of the Congressman with a grudge can end the general's career.  It is a stupid and corrupt system, but the General Officers have to put on the kneepads and blowjob the Congressmen unless the political appointees above them actually step up to the plate and run interference...which is never going to happen with a Democrat administration and Murtha, or even any of the Republican Defense Secretaries since Caspar Weinberger.