Aug. 9, 2010
EDITORIAL: Manchin's Federal Investigation Troubles
Governor Joe Manchin has been in the state's top job for five
years now. Throughout that time, Manchin's administration appeared
to do decently on ethics.
Then came word late last week that federal investigators were serving the Manchin Administration with two subpoenas, one for the Department of Highways and one from the Department of Administration. Rumors abound, but it will be awhile before we have any clear understanding of what's being investigated.
But Dwayne Tinsley, the Charleston lawyer tapped by Attorney General Darrell McGraw to assist with the federal investigation, says that the feds have demanded a "bunch of documents." Who in Manchin's Administration wanted to hear that last week?
In the meantime, Governor Manchin has a U.S. Senate race to run, now with this issue a lingering concern among many voters across West Virginia. Manchin will not be the first incumbent West Virginia Governor running for a high office with a cloud of investigation giving him fits. Former Governor Arch Moore ran the entire primary and general election cycles in 1988 with the U.S. Attorney's office gathering evidence that eventually brought him down.
Interestingly, the public didn't know about Moore's problems with the feds until after the general election was over. But in this case, a Democratic Justice Department has decided that it was necessary to gather documents from Manchin before the election this year. Was it to secure those records before they were destroyed in the event that Manchin moves on after the election?
If so, the Obama Justice Department has shown a savvy in investigating we hadn't seen from them before. Certainly, the Manchin Administration spokespeople seemed rather flustered when the feds arrived on Thursday, as evidenced by their vague responses to the press.
If there is wrongdoing going on in the Manchin Administration, this kind of surprise visit by the feds will be seen later as the key moment which enabled the Justice Department to do its job, find the evidence, and make its case.
Stay tuned.
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EDITORIAL: Manchin's Federal Investigation Troubles
Governor Joe Manchin has been in the state's top job for five
years now. Throughout that time, Manchin's administration appeared
to do decently on ethics.
Then came word late last week that federal investigators were serving the Manchin Administration with two subpoenas, one for the Department of Highways and one from the Department of Administration. Rumors abound, but it will be awhile before we have any clear understanding of what's being investigated.
But Dwayne Tinsley, the Charleston lawyer tapped by Attorney General Darrell McGraw to assist with the federal investigation, says that the feds have demanded a "bunch of documents." Who in Manchin's Administration wanted to hear that last week?
In the meantime, Governor Manchin has a U.S. Senate race to run, now with this issue a lingering concern among many voters across West Virginia. Manchin will not be the first incumbent West Virginia Governor running for a high office with a cloud of investigation giving him fits. Former Governor Arch Moore ran the entire primary and general election cycles in 1988 with the U.S. Attorney's office gathering evidence that eventually brought him down.
Interestingly, the public didn't know about Moore's problems with the feds until after the general election was over. But in this case, a Democratic Justice Department has decided that it was necessary to gather documents from Manchin before the election this year. Was it to secure those records before they were destroyed in the event that Manchin moves on after the election?
If so, the Obama Justice Department has shown a savvy in investigating we hadn't seen from them before. Certainly, the Manchin Administration spokespeople seemed rather flustered when the feds arrived on Thursday, as evidenced by their vague responses to the press.
If there is wrongdoing going on in the Manchin Administration, this kind of surprise visit by the feds will be seen later as the key moment which enabled the Justice Department to do its job, find the evidence, and make its case.
Stay tuned.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
