By Bennett Roth, CQ Staff

The House ethics committee indicated Thursday that it was reviewing the links between a number of lawmakers and the now-defunct lobbying firm The PMA Group.

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, as the panel is called, issued a statement responding to a resolution (H Res 500) the House adopted June 3. The resolution directed the ethics committee to notify the chamber if it was examining the PMA matter.

The Democratic lawmakers with links to PMA include John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee; Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana, a senior member of Murtha’s panel who was recently subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in regard to his ties to PMA; and James P. Moran of Virginia, another senior member of the subcommittee. Dozens of other lawmakers have sponsored earmarks for PMA clients.

The Democratic leadership pushed the resolution through after being hammered by Republicans for ignoring the PMA ethics allegations.

Recently elected Democrats, who campaigned on the message of purging Washington of the “culture of corruption,” have also pressed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., to address the issue.

PMA secured defense earmarks from lawmakers while its principals showered them with campaign contributions. The firm closed this year after being raided by the FBI.

In the statement, ethics Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif., and ranking Republican Jo Bonner of Alabama acknowledged the resolution and noted that the committee had “previously authorized a review of certain, specified allegations within the committee’s jurisdiction that relate to the subject of this resolution.”

“Pursuant to this authority the committee is continuing to review these matters,” they wrote. “As appropriate and where permitted by House and Committee rules, the committee may release future statements regarding these matters.”

The ethics panel’s statement did not name any lawmaker, but the committee is only authorized to investigate misconduct of members of the House, their staff and the officers of the House. It does not have power to investigate outside firms.

Rep. Jeff Flake , R-Ariz., has repeatedly and unsuccessfully offered resolutions asking for an investigation of PMA.