Arlen Specter
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Specter Arlen Specter
Senator Arlen Specter defended himself and a member of his staff after the disclosure that clients of a lobbyist married to the staff member had received money through the senator's actions. Vicki Siegel Herson, who until recently was Mr. Specter's legislative assistant on the Appropriations Committee, is married to Michael Herson, a top executive of the lobbying firm American Defense International. Mr. Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and his staff confirmed that six of Mr. Herson's clients received a total of about $50 million over the last four years through items Mr. Specter inserted into military appropriations bills in a process known as ''earmarking.'' The earmarks were first reported Thursday in USA Today.