Alan B. Mollohan did not seem to be affected by the harsh economy of 2008. According to his financial disclosure documents, Mollohan’s income from 2007 to 2008 increased by $11,500 to $39,800 mainly from rent and income from a property ownership and management. Some income also came from royalties. That is an 11 percent increase from one year to the next.
The documents indicated Mollohan’s his personal assets from several rental properties and investments increased by $250,100 to $500,000, a 4 percent increase.
Eun Kyung Kim, reporter for FloridaToday.com, said, “All members of Congress are required to file personal disclosure statements annually, but they are required to report their assets and liabilities only in broad ranges, rather than specific amounts.”
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, opensecrets.org, members of Congress make approximately $169,000 annually. During a time when the economy isn’t doing well, many Americans are struggling while political figures are comfortable, to say the least.
However, several of these political figures have been caught in what some might consider a scandal.
In 2006, Mollohan’s personal assets totaled more than $6 million, which was quite an increase from 2000 when his assets totaled less than $600,000, according to the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review.
Because of this, the congressman was under federal investigation in 2007 for "omitting or misrepresenting personal financial dealings on required disclosure statements," said the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review.
Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center said the complaint included "real estate purchases Mollohan made with people heading companies or organizations that received federal funds he earmarked."
The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review said in 2006, Mollohan explained "inadvertent errors" on his financial reports as appreciated real estate holding and an inheritance from his father in a share of a Morgantown hotel.
Mollohan’s financial disclosures for 2003, 2004 and 2005 were each amended for different reasons.
His 2003 financial disclosure form was amended to show half ownership with his wife for “HHM, LLC, and a partnership created for property, ownership and management in Bald Head Island, N.C.,” according to Legistorm.com.
In 2004, Mollohan received a loan from Don and Laura Kuhn of Fairmont, W.Va., in the amount of $35,000, which he amended his financial disclosure to reflect. The Mollohans’ and Kuhns’ were in a 50/50 partnership to invest in five lots of land on Bald Head Island, N.C., which were bought for resale.
Mollohan’s wife received payment and interest in 2005 for Building Revenue Bond of Kanawha County, W.Va. Mollohan said the bonds were not in his wife’s possession at the time they were redeemed, but he amended his financial disclose to include the income and interest.
Mollohan seems to be reporting the right numbers lately, but the Washington Post reported Mollohan said in an interview he was unapologetic and proud of the thousands of jobs he brought to West Virginia, stating, “Legally speaking, everything he has done to secure (the jobs) is “squeaky clean”.”
However, Mollohan said, "I would have done things differently." "It puts you in a position where people could say there's something untoward going on," he said, according to the Post.
While the “scandal” hurt Mollohan’s reputation in Washington, the Post reported residents of West Virginia welcoming Mollohan home with open arms. He even received a standing ovation at a meeting about a missing child alert system that his legislation had underwritten in Morgantown, W.Va.
Mollohan is still working toward bettering the state of West Virginia. The House of Representatives passed Mollohan’s appropriations bill June 22, 2009, to “strengthen the federal government’s commitment to prevent and fight crime,” according to his Web site.
It seems that Mollohan’s financial disclosure set back didn’t hurt his career. He is still working with Congress and has quite a few more bucks in the bank than most West Virginians.
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