Alan Mollohan
Encyclopedia
Alan Bowlby Mollohan is the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
The district encompasses the northern part of the state; it is based in Wheeling
and includes Parkersburg
, Morgantown
, Fairmont
and Clarksburg
. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee
and was ranking Democrat on the Ethics Committee
until being asked to step down in 2006. He was defeated in the Democratic primary election
held on May 11, 2010, by Mike Oliverio.
and graduated from the College of William and Mary
. Thereafter, Mollohan completed a law degree
at West Virginia University
.
On April 7, 2006, The New York Times
reported that Mollohan "has fueled five non-profit groups in his West Virginia district with $250 million in earmark funding." Mollohan created these nonprofit groups, which include the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, Institute for Scientific Research, Canaan Valley Institute, Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and MountainMade Foundation. Leaders of these groups were sometimes investors with him, possibly leading to his own personal gain.
On April 21, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
announced that Mollohan would temporarily step down as the Ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee
. Howard Berman
of California
took Mollohan's place.
On April 25, 2006, The Wall Street Journal
reported that Mollohan cooperated with CEO Dale R. McBride of FMW Composite Systems Inc. of Bridgeport, West Virginia
for the joint purchase of his 300 acres (1.2 km²) farm along West Virginia's Cheat River
. Mollohan had directed a $2.1 million government contract earmarked to FWM Composite Systems to develop lightweight payload pallets for space-shuttle missions. Federal Bureau of Investigation
agents have started asking questions in Washington and West Virginia about Mollohan’s investments and whether they were properly disclosed, according to the Journal. Mollohan had previously acknowledged he may have made inadvertent mistakes on financial disclosure forms, and in June he filed more than two dozen corrections to his disclosure statements.
In October 2009, NewBridge Bank foreclosed on North Carolina beachfront property owned by Mollohan, Laura Kurtz Kuhns, a former Molohan staffer and CEO of the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and David Kuhns, who is employed by state Senator Brooks McCabe
's company. The group purchased the property for $450,000 in 2004. It was assessed at $540,000 in 2007 and sold at foreclosure for $192,000.
In its 2009 report, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
(CREW) named Mollohan one of the 15 most corrupt members of Congress, stating that he has "steered hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks to family, friends, former employees and corporations in exchange for contributions to his campaign and political action committees. In addition, Rep. Mollohan misreported his personal assets on his financial disclosure forms. He is currently the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice." Due to the pending investigation, Mollohan stepped down from his position on the House Appropriations Committee. Mollohan was also listed on the organization's 2006, 2007, and 2008 reports.
In a January 2010 statement, Mollohan announced his attorneys had been informed by the U.S. Department of Justice that no charges would be filed against him and its investigation closed. Mollohan attributed the allegations of wrongdoing to politically-motivated attacks. Ben Friedman of the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington told CREW that the Justice Department has "closed the investigation into the case." Mollohan may still face action from the House Ethics Committee, which had previously been asked to defer investigating Mollohan by the Department of Justice.
candidate ran against Mollohan. In both of those years he was opposed by a Libertarian
Richard Kerr, but Mollohan won.
He last faced any serious electoral competition when, in 1992, West Virginia lost a House seat due to the 1990 Census. The redistricting placed Mollohan against another representative, 2nd District Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Jr.
. No other party put up a candidate, meaning that the Democratic primary was tantamount to election
. It was predicted to be a tough primary, however Mollohan succeeded in winning his party's nomination with 60% of the vote.
Since his first election in 1982 he has only faced a total of six Republican challengers, the most recent being former state delegate Chris Wakim
in 2006. In that race, Mollohan won 64% of the vote.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The district encompasses the northern part of the state; it is based in Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and includes Parkersburg
Parkersburg, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
, Morgantown
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
, Fairmont
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
and Clarksburg
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
and was ranking Democrat on the Ethics Committee
United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct....
until being asked to step down in 2006. He was defeated in the Democratic primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
held on May 11, 2010, by Mike Oliverio.
Early life, education and career
Mollohan is the son of former U.S. Representative Robert Mollohan. He attended Greenbrier Military SchoolGreenbrier Military School
The Greenbrier Military School was a boys-only, private, military, boarding high school located in Lewisburg, West Virginia. It was founded in 1812.It closed in 1972...
and graduated from the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
. Thereafter, Mollohan completed a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House Committee on AppropriationsThe Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesThe United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies is a standing committee of the U.S. House subcommittees and is within the United States House Committee on Appropriations.-Members, 112th Congress:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityThe House Subcommittee on Homeland Security is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**...
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related AgenciesUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related AgenciesThe House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Controversies
On February 28, 2006, National Legal and Policy Center filed a 500-page ethics complaint against Mollohan, alleging that the congressman misrepresented his assets on financial disclosure forms. Mollohan's real estate holdings and other assets have increased from $562,000 in 2000 to at least $6.3 million in 2004. For the period 1996 through 2004, NLPC alleged that his Financial Disclosure Reports failed to disclose real estate, corporate and financial assets that public records showed were owned by Mollohan and his wife.On April 7, 2006, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that Mollohan "has fueled five non-profit groups in his West Virginia district with $250 million in earmark funding." Mollohan created these nonprofit groups, which include the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, Institute for Scientific Research, Canaan Valley Institute, Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and MountainMade Foundation. Leaders of these groups were sometimes investors with him, possibly leading to his own personal gain.
On April 21, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
announced that Mollohan would temporarily step down as the Ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee
United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct....
. Howard Berman
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He earlier served in the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982, and as the U.S...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
took Mollohan's place.
On April 25, 2006, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
reported that Mollohan cooperated with CEO Dale R. McBride of FMW Composite Systems Inc. of Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,306 at the 2000 census.The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, John Simpson entered the area and gave his name to Simpson Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816....
for the joint purchase of his 300 acres (1.2 km²) farm along West Virginia's Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...
. Mollohan had directed a $2.1 million government contract earmarked to FWM Composite Systems to develop lightweight payload pallets for space-shuttle missions. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agents have started asking questions in Washington and West Virginia about Mollohan’s investments and whether they were properly disclosed, according to the Journal. Mollohan had previously acknowledged he may have made inadvertent mistakes on financial disclosure forms, and in June he filed more than two dozen corrections to his disclosure statements.
In October 2009, NewBridge Bank foreclosed on North Carolina beachfront property owned by Mollohan, Laura Kurtz Kuhns, a former Molohan staffer and CEO of the Vandalia Heritage Foundation, and David Kuhns, who is employed by state Senator Brooks McCabe
Brooks McCabe
Brooks F. McCabe, Jr. is a Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate, representing the 8th and 17th Districts since 1998.-External links:* official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Brooks McCabe** Senate campaign contributions...
's company. The group purchased the property for $450,000 in 2004. It was assessed at $540,000 in 2007 and sold at foreclosure for $192,000.
In its 2009 report, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
(CREW) named Mollohan one of the 15 most corrupt members of Congress, stating that he has "steered hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks to family, friends, former employees and corporations in exchange for contributions to his campaign and political action committees. In addition, Rep. Mollohan misreported his personal assets on his financial disclosure forms. He is currently the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice." Due to the pending investigation, Mollohan stepped down from his position on the House Appropriations Committee. Mollohan was also listed on the organization's 2006, 2007, and 2008 reports.
In a January 2010 statement, Mollohan announced his attorneys had been informed by the U.S. Department of Justice that no charges would be filed against him and its investigation closed. Mollohan attributed the allegations of wrongdoing to politically-motivated attacks. Ben Friedman of the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington told CREW that the Justice Department has "closed the investigation into the case." Mollohan may still face action from the House Ethics Committee, which had previously been asked to defer investigating Mollohan by the Department of Justice.
Political campaigns
When Mollohan's father retired in 1982 after 16 years in Congress spread out over two stints, he endorsed his son as his successor. Alan was elected that November in a very competitive contest. He faced another close race in 1984, but was unopposed for a third term in 1986. He has not faced serious opposition in a general election since, running unopposed in 1992, 1996, 2002 and 2008. In 1998 and 2000, no RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate ran against Mollohan. In both of those years he was opposed by a Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Richard Kerr, but Mollohan won.
He last faced any serious electoral competition when, in 1992, West Virginia lost a House seat due to the 1990 Census. The redistricting placed Mollohan against another representative, 2nd District Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Jr.
Harley O. Staggers, Jr.
Harley O. "Buckey" Staggers, Jr. is a Democratic U.S. politician. He graduated from Harvard University and the West Virginia University College of Law, served as an assistant West Virginia Attorney General, served one term in the West Virginia Senate, and served five terms in the United States...
. No other party put up a candidate, meaning that the Democratic primary was tantamount to election
Tantamount to election
"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
. It was predicted to be a tough primary, however Mollohan succeeded in winning his party's nomination with 60% of the vote.
2010
Mollohan faced a Democratic primary challenge on May 11, 2010, and lost to State senator Mike Oliverio, 56% to 44%. It was Mollohan's first contested primary since he faced Harley Staggers Jr. in 1992 after their Congressional districts were merged.Since his first election in 1982 he has only faced a total of six Republican challengers, the most recent being former state delegate Chris Wakim
Chris Wakim
Chris Wakim is a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates having represented the Third District from 2003 to 2007. He is also the 2008 Republican nominee for the First Senatorial District in West Virginia. The Third District represents the majority of citizens in Ohio County, WV...
in 2006. In that race, Mollohan won 64% of the vote.