EKB News

A federal investigation of former Governor Joe Manchin's administration includes a request for his 1996 campaign finance reports. Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice asked Secretary of State Natalie Tennant's office for the documents in mid-September. A subpoena issued by lawyers with the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section, which leads federal efforts to combat corruption among public officials, sought campaign finance reports filed by the 1996 gubernatorial campaign of Joseph Manchin III, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1996 but lost the Democratic primary to former state Senator Charlotte Pritt. According to reports, Manchin spent $2.2 million in that race, about twice as much as Pritt, and ended his campaign in debt. The subpoena directed Tennant to turn over the records to a grand jury on October 6th. Manchin spokeswoman Sara Payne Scarbro said Friday that Manchin "had no knowledge" of the subpoena.

In recent months, federal investigators also have subpoenaed West Virginia's Division of Highways, Department of Administration and its Aviation Division. The Manchin administration never released the contents of those subpoenas, despite numerous requests to do so.