House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrat leaders are warning Democrat members of Congress not to support a measure by Rep. Jeff Flake to investigate ties between key Democrats and a controversial defense lobbying firm, The Hill reports today.

At issue are contributions made by the now-defunt PMA Group lobbying firm to the campaigns of Democrat members of the House, who then requested earmarks profitable to PMA clients.  Flake has sponsored a resolution asking the House Ethics Committee to investigate a possible contributions-for-earmarks scandal.  Pelosi, according to The Hill, is demanding Democrats who supported the measure change their votes.

This would be the same Pelosi who stated on the night of the 2006 elections, when Democrats captured control of Congress, "the American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history."

Libertarians back scrapping the earmark system of fast-tracking special spending projects, and instead would force such requests to go through the proper appropriations procedure.