Rep. Jerry Lewis, the ranking member on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is under federal investigation. Despite that investigation, House Republican leaders have kept Mr. Lewis in that coveted spot. CREW named him one of the most corrupt members of Congress in our report, Beyond DeLay -- and we asked for his removal from the House Appropriations Committee.

Lewis is spending a lot of his campaign funds on legal fees. Last month, that total spending topped $1 million. TPM Muckraker has the details:

Congratulations to Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) lawyers! They've surpassed $1 million in legal fees from the lawmaker.

Lewis, long-time TPMmers will remember, has been under federal investigation since the spring of 2006 for his ties to defense contractor and convicted criminal Brent Wilkes and lobbyist buddy Bill Lowery.

Since June of 2006, Lewis has paid just over $1 million in campaign funds to some heavy-hitters at the law firm Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher, according to campaign disclosures. A $62,000 payment on December 12th last year put him over the top.