Gayle Manchin has denied any wrongdoing following allegations that she violated her ethics pledge by advising an organization with ties to her husband’s campaign.
Manchin, the federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), has been accused of advising Coalfield Development, a nonprofit organization, on a $62.8 million grant from the American Rescue Plan.
Manchin had pledged to recuse herself from such advisement boards to avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest. However, emails obtained by Fox News Digital suggest that she advised the organization despite her pledge.
The Charleston Area Alliance, headed by Manchin’s treasurer, received $13 million from the $63 million granted to Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition.
The ARC has denied any financial ties between Manchin and Coalfield Development or the ACT Now Coalition. The organization has also stated that Manchin had no role in approving any Build Back Better grant applications.
Manchin’s appointment to the ARC came in April 2021, just one month after her husband voted for the American Rescue Plan.
Manchin is paid upwards of $160,000 annually for her position at the ARC, which is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments.
Source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/manchin-wife-broke-conflicts-of-interest-ethics-pledge-emails
