PMA Group, the defense lobbying shop with very close ties to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., and which we reported last month was in "turmoil," was raided by FBI agents in November, apparently seeking information about its links to the congressman whose name has become famous for his advocacy of defense earmarks, ABC News reported.

Citing sources, ABC said that it's unclear if Murtha is a target of an investigation, but noted that the raid is the second in recent months on defense companies with links to Murtha, the chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

ABC reported that a spokesperson for PMA, Patrick Dorton, confirmed the raid in a statement Monday afternoon. "Government representatives did come to the PMA offices. They requested a number of different kinds of information," Dorton said. "The firm is cooperating with their requests."

Last month, news organizations reported that the offices of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems, two defense contractors in Pennsylvania that have received about $100 million in earmarks via Murtha, had been raided by FBI and other federal agents. PMA was founded and is run by former Murtha aide Paul Magliocchetti, who, we reported last month, was in talks with a number of the firm's lobbyists about a buyout deal. 

                                                                                                                   --Peter Stone