Congressman John Murtha (1932 – 2010)

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting that Pennsylvania's longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the controversial John Murtha, died Monday of complications from recent gall bladder surgery.

From the Tribune-Review:

U.S. Rep. John Murtha, the longest-serving congressman in Pennsylvania history, died today at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., his office announced today.

He was 77.

Murtha had been hospitalized since Tuesday with an infection that arose from gallbladder surgery in late January.

Murtha was first elected to the U.S. House in February, 1974, and became the longest-serving congressman on Saturday. He served since 1989 as chairman or ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

His family was at his bedside when he died, said spokesman Matthew Mazonkey.

The Associated Press released a quick video about his death.

Murtha is frequently cited by watchdog groups as the worst offender in Congress of pork barrel spending. He was recently named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS