Gingrey Secures $2.5 million Earmark for Campaign Contributor

The Rome News-Tribune ran a story today regarding the passage of H.R. 3222, the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. Included in the story is a listing of the eight earmarks Congressman Phil Gingrey helped secure. What's interesting, and unmentioned by the RN-T, is that one of the beneficiaries of Congressman Gingrey's efforts is CryoLife Corporation, which received $2.5 million. What makes it interesting is the fact that CryoLife and Phil Gingrey have had political dealings before.

Mark Anderson, CEO of CryoLife, has given a total of $1,500 of Phil Gingrey's re-election campaigns. On top of the that, CryoLife's PAC has given Congressman Gingrey $6,000: $2,000 during the 2006 election cycle and twice that in 2004, Gingrey's last competitive election.

This one sounds a bit fishy.