U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky touts the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana in Merrillville as a powerful engine for economic growth.
It is also a powerful engine for campaign contributions to the Democratic congressman.
Four firms at the tech center were among the top 13 givers for Visclosky's 2006 campaign, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.org.
In all, $90,050 was contributed to the Visclosky campaign by executives of those four companies, their immediate families, or their political action committees.
Three of those firms also are in line for earmarks sponsored by the congressman, totaling $9 million.
Visclosky acknowledged companies at the tech center were some of his leading campaign supporters in 2006, but he said there is no link between who gives to his campaign and who gets earmarks.
"It's like the steel industry," Visclosky said. "I'm going to help the steel industry whether I get help from them or not. Have companies or unions donated to my campaign in the past? If I checked, I'm sure I would find they have."
Government watchdog groups feel otherwise, saying this year's disclosure rules are exposing the long-time nexus between campaign cash and earmarks.
"When you take everything that isn't nailed down back to your home district, at best you are putting your district's interests ahead of the country's," said Stephen Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Visclosky's had a campaign war chest of $1.4 million for the 2006 campaign.
The Purdue Technology Center opened in 2005 and is home to 14 high-tech companies engaged in a broad range of research. Six more are slated to move in.
The top Visclosky supporter at the tech center was ProLogic Inc, which directed $37,500 to his 2006 campaign and $18,500 so far for 2008.
Last year the company was subpoenaed as part of a federal investigation of earmarks granted by Rep. Allan Mollohan, D-W.Va. But so were all other companies in the center Mollohan helped establish, according to ProLogic spokesman Paul Maguire.
Any support for Visclosky's campaigns comes from employees, not the company, Maguire said.
"I'm proud to be a supporter and hope I've been able to help him," Maguire said via e-mail on Friday.
Visclosky's second-biggest supporter at the Purdue tech center was 21st Century Systems. The company directed $22,000 to Visclosky's 2006 campaign and $17,500 so far for 2008.
Visclosky worked with Purdue University to establish the tech center in Merrillville and obtained $6.9 million in earmarks to build it.
This year, he has inserted two earmarks worth $2.23 million for its expansion.
Other companies slated to receive earmarks also are top contributors to Visclosky campaigns.
Six other companies in The OpenSecrets top 20 list will receive a total of $10.5 million in earmarks sponsored by Visclosky if bills containing them become law.
Those six made campaign contributions totaling $106,000 for the 2006 campaign. Four of those are located in other states.
In addition, a powerhouse Washington lobbying firm that was the top contributor to Visclosky's 2006 campaign counts two of the big tech center contributors as clients.
Six other clients of that firm, the PMA Group, also received Visclosky earmarks.
Visclosky said it is inevitable that many of his earmarks would go to clients of the PMA Group, because he sits on both the House Appropriations Committee and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
"That is just the nature of my job, "Visclosky said. "Everyone lobbies for their interest. And whether they lobby as paid professionals or as private citizens, it's my job to listen to what they have to say and make appropriate judgments."
