Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is a spectacular showplace.

With two million admissions a year and 159 corporate donors, there’s no question of staying afloat.

Yet aquarium officials have come to Washington with their hands out, seeking taxpayer-funded earmarks, grants of money without the normal public review, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

And the Aquarium has found friends among at least six of their home state members of Congress, including Sen. Barack Obama.

They each received campaign donations from Aquarium officials, and then colectively channeled nearly $1.8 million in earmarks to the Shedd Aquarium for this year, after first receiving campaign donations from Aquarium officials. Both sides say the donations have nothing to do with the earmarks.