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Dec 14, 2006 8:09 pm US/Eastern
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FBI Probes Claims Against Congressman Murphy
by Andy Sheehan
MOUNT LEBANON (KDKA) ―
A federal investigation is underway after allegations surfaced against US Rep. Tim Murphy.
Sources tell KDKA federal agents have begun interviewing former Murphy staffers on whether they did political work for the congressman on government time.
Murphy denies the allegations.
"There's absolutely nothing and no staff has ever been ordered to say anything about voting or political, never," he told KDKA in November.
But while neither the FBI nor the U.S. Attorney's office will confirm or deny an investigation, the probe concerns just that.
People who work in congressional offices like Murphy's in Mount Lebanon are supposed to work for the congressman's constituents.
According to the congressional ethic's manual, campaign matters must be handled by a separate staff.
But some former workers say that wasn't the case.
"There were several times when staff was asked and basically pressured into doing campaign activities," said Jayne O'Shaughnessy, a former staffer for Murphy.
Documents obtained by KDKA at least suggest that.
One document is a campaign planning timeline, which appears to require "D.O." – meaning district office employees – go door-to-door.
It's a document that Murphy took from KDKA Investigator Andy Sheehan when he showed it to him in November.
"This is my personal materials. I don't know how you got this, but this is my personal materials. I'm taking it back," said Murphy.
Other documents reveal what appears to be a kind of poll of registered voters in Murphy's district with entries including: "He has my vote" and "He's Republican, forget it."
Murphy said in November the district employees weren't supposed to be taking a poll.
Murphy told Sheehan he turned the matter over to the House Ethics Committee for investigation and would have no further comment on the matter.
His office did not return phone calls today.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)