Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin reportedly helped steer millions of dollars in federal funds to groups linked to his wife.
According to a FOX Business review of grants and loans, Manchin helped ensure funding reached at least three organizations where his wife, Gayle Manchin, worked at the time.
Manchin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees federal discretionary spending bills. One of his representatives responded to an inquiry by saying the West Virginia lawmaker was committed to utilizing his position on the Appropriations Committee to “fight for” state interests and pointed out that other legislators were also involved in supporting initiatives benefiting his wife’s employers.
“Senator Manchin’s position on the Senate Appropriations Committee uniquely positions him to fight for causes important to West Virginia,” the spokesperson said. “The loans and grants specially outlined in this article were all announced with bipartisan support from both state and federal legislators representing West Virginia.”
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a federal-state cooperation aimed at enhancing the economy of the Appalachian area, is one of the more notable examples of Manchin’s capacity to increase money for initiatives involving his wife. Gayle Manchin was chosen by the White House to serve as the federal co-chair of ARC in April 2021.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Manchin had co-sponsored and supported, provided the bipartisan commission with an astounding $1 billion in late 2021. The bipartisan commission has been funded annually by Congress in the range of $165 million to $200 million since 2019. Manchin welcomed the massive sums of money that will be given to projects in West Virginia when the Senate passes the measure, but he made no mention of the ARC funding.
“As a result of the positive impact of ARC’s work in the region to support economic and community development, the Commission has received strong bipartisan support from Members of United States Senate and House of Representatives in recent years,” said ARC spokesperson Janiene Bohannon.
Additionally, Gayle Manchin served as a trustee for Bethany College in West Virginia from 2012 to 2021. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted Bethany College $39.6 million in loans under its Rural Development program in April 2018.
Manchin, as well as West Virginia Republicans like Rep. David McKinley and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, were especially praised by Bethany College for their assistance with the loan application process and for “helping to obtain the USDA funds,” according to Bethany College.
