Roll Call reports that a few months after Silvestre Reyes became chair of the House Intelligence Committee, he asked his brother to create a political action committee called BEST PAC. That committee received tens of thousands in donations from employees and clients of a lobbying firm. Those clients subsequently received millions in earmarks from Chairman Reyes:

A new political action committee created by the brother of Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) raised $50,000 this spring almost entirely from staff and clients of powerhouse lobbying shop PMA Group, and within weeks, those same donors reaped millions of dollars in earmarks from Reyes and other Members of Congress closely affiliated with PMA.

On March 1, Jesus “Chuy” Reyes filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission establishing BEST PAC. Reyes is the brother and campaign manager of Rep. Reyes, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and creation of the political action committee was the Congressman’s decision, his office said Friday.

By the first week of June, the PAC had raised $35,000 from 32 individuals, almost every one of whom was an employee of the PMA Group or an employee of a defense or intelligence technology firm represented by PMA. Most of the donations were made on May 7, four days before the Intelligence panel approved the 2008 intelligence authorization bill, which included earmarks for several donors to the PAC.

The BEST PAC subsequently made a few donations directed by Chairman Reyes:

Despite its flurry of fundraising, BEST PAC has only made four donations. On June 29, the PAC gave $21,430 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and made two $2,300 contributions to the U.S. Senate campaign of New Hampshire Democratic candidate Katrina Swett. The PAC made a third donation of $5,000 to Swett’s campaign, but on July 26, treasurer Guillermo Cintron wrote to the FEC to explain that Swett had returned the contribution because it exceeded the PAC’s contribution limits.

Swett, the daughter of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and the wife of ex-Rep. Dick Swett (D-N.H.), ended her Senate campaign late last month...

He confirmed that the PAC “gave a donation to the DCCC on behalf of the Congressman.” A donation from a Member’s PAC counts against the Member’s fundraising obligations to the party, officials have said.

Is this what Democrat leaders meant when they promised to drain the swamp?