Congressman Steers Millions To Friends

Veteran West Virginia Congressman Allan Mollohan is being investigated by federal authorities for his suspicious personal finances – he got very wealthy in only four years – and steering nearly $200 million in public funds to nonprofit groups run by his buddies.

Mollohan’s financial disclosures report in 2000 listed his assets between $179,000 and $562,000 and by 2004 they were listed between $6 million and $24 million with a lavish, oceanfront home in Bald Head Island, North Carolina and various other valuable properties.

Additionally, the 12-term Democrat invested more than $2 million in real estate with a former staffer who ran a nonprofit, the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, that later received more than $28 million in appropriations earmarks with Mollohan’s help.

An investigation by The National Legal and Policy Center led to the federal case. After examining thousands of pages of real estate, financial and legal documents, the NLPC filed a 500-page complaint with the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia detailing hundreds of ethics law violations.

Not surprisingly, Mollohan denies any wrongdoing. But as the National Center points out in its blog; whatever the case may be with his personal finances, the amount of money being appropriated, apparently through earmarks, from federal taxpayers to these non-profits over a short period of time is truly astounding.