When a defense contractor announced it was bringing 150 jobs to Martinsville two years ago, U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode seemed eager to share the spotlight with the company's owner.

Goode and the head of MZM Inc. stood next to each other and posed for photographs during an opening ceremony for the firm's newest information technology venture.

These days, Goode no doubt would like to put some distance between himself and Mitchell Wade.

But that seems all but impossible, now that Wade has pleaded guilty in a bribery and election fraud scandal that threatens to pull Goode into the growing controversy of political corruption in the nation's capital.

In federal court Friday in Washington, D.C., Wade admitted that he lavished a California congressman with more than $1 million in cash and gifts in exchange for lucrative defense contracts from the government. The former head of MZM also pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions to two other lawmakers in an effort to buy influence on Capitol Hill.

Federal authorities have not identified Goode as one of the lawmakers. But court documents and campaign finance reports indicate he was the recipient of tainted money linked to MZM.

The Republican from Rocky Mount confirmed as much Friday, saying in a written statement that he was "shocked and amazed" to learn that his largest source of campaign contributions in recent years is now a convicted felon. Goode was unavailable for additional comment Friday and Saturday.

When the scandal began to heat up two months ago, Goode decided to give $90,500 -- the amount he received from MZM's political action committee, its employees and their family members -- to charity.

The money may be gone. But to Goode's political opponents, the stench remains.

"It's not just what it looks like but what it smells like," said Bern Ewert of Charlottesville, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Goode in November. "And this stinks."

Critics say that at the very least, Goode has created the impression he was bought by MZM -- first by using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee to seek $3.6 million for a Foreign Supplier Assessment Center that went to MZM, then by working closely with state and local officials to draw up an unusual incentives package to lure the company to Martinsville.

"I don't think voters can ignore the fact that our congressman seems to have been caught up in the whole culture of corruption up there," said Al Weed, who ran unsuccessfully against Goode two years ago and hopes to challenge him again.

Although it seems the MZM scandal has legs that could take it all the way to Election Day, some political observers said it should not tarnish Goode's squeaky-clean image with voters in his largely conservative Fifth District.

"I see it as being an issue that is bound to be discussed in the campaign," political analyst Larry Sabato said. "But I don't see it as an issue that threatens Virgil Goode's tenure at all."

Goode has not been accused of a crime, and federal prosecutors said Friday that Wade never told the two members of Congress they were receiving illegal contributions.

Wade admitted that he skirted campaign finance laws limiting him to contributing $2,000 to a candidate per election by paying his employees to make contributions.

A former senior executive at MZM's headquarters in Washington, D.C., said Saturday that working the political process with money was part of the company culture.

While pressured by company officials to write a check to Goode, the former employee did not believe Goode was complicit in the scheme. "I think he was just kind of sucked into this," the former employee said.

All employees were expected to make contributions on a regular basis, said the ex-official, who asked not to be identified because of the pending investigation and fear of possible retribution.

"It was a very poisonous atmosphere," the past employee said. "His [Wade's] belief was you could buy anything and anyone."

In the case of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Wade used cash, a yacht, expensive antiques, cars and other perks to get the California representative to steer defense contracts his way. Cunningham resigned last year after pleading guilty to accepting bribes.

No one has suggested that Goode took such lavish gifts from Wade.

"Virgil is not ostentatious," said Jim Severt, a political consultant and his former chief of staff. "He doesn't need a mansion or a Cadillac, because his life is politics."

But that doesn't make him immune from temptation, Severt added: "I would think that giving him $90,000 in campaign contributions has as much influence on him as giving him a Rolls Royce or a yacht, because politics is all he has."