John Brabender

John Brabender of media firm BrabenderCox is serving as a political consultant for Pennsylvania Congressional Republican candidate Diana L. Irey, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Representative John P. Murtha. 

Controversy
"Aside from the ethically compromised" Senator Rick Santorum, Joe Conason wrote June 2, 2006, in Salon, "Brabender's current clients include Bob Ney, the Ohio Republican who was mentioned in the Justice Department's indictment of lobbyist Jack Abramoff as 'Representative #1.' Last year Ney paid a fine to the Federal Election Commission for failing to report $83,000 in wire transfers to Brabender's company."

Connections

 * Jack Abramoff: "Brabender's media firm, BrabenderCox, did work for Abramoff's SunCruz."
 * Tom Coburn: "Brabender was his media consultant." "Another in a long line of right-wing nutballs which Brabender has helped elect, mostly due to his long-time connection to Rick Santorum."
 * Timothy Hutchinson: "BrabenderCox ran Hutchinson's failed Senate campaign." "Another of the far right-wing candidates to get on board with BrabenderCox. Hutchinson lost, of course. Probably the fact that he had left his long-suffering wife for a young, hot aide didn't help this former preacher....who I think is now raking it in as a lobbyist."
 * Mike Mihalke: "longtime friend and partner" and "former spokesman for Santorum, was one of the main movers in the Alexander Strategy Group....which has now disbanded." "Heavy connections" to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.
 * Tim Murphy: "Brabender is Murphy's long time media consultant." "Brabender has been on board with Murphy for years, creating TV and radio spots for him. Murphy's claim to fame, as it were, is that he's probably had more staff turnover, both on the Hill, as well as in his district, than any other legislator...."


 * David Vitter: "Brabender helped get this Louisiana Senator elected last cycle." "Right-wing Senator was helped into his Senate seat by Brabender, [but] mostly by the stupidity of the Democrats, who split the ticket in LA."