Report: Joe Manchin Donor’s Company Receives $1 Million Grant from Energy Department

A major donor of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) received a million-dollar grant from the Department of Energy, as the Biden administration looks to ensure the passage of the $2 trillion infrastructure bill that includes various parts of the left’s agenda, according to a report.

The energy sector start-up, U.S. Research Impact Alliance, recently received the Department of Energy’s “grant funding for research and innovation projects,” which gave the company a $1 million grant, according to the Washington Free Beacon. The grant was announced during a two-day stint last week in West Virginia with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Manchin.

The treasurer for U.S. Research Impact Alliance, Michael Green, is a longtime political ally and donor to Manchin, the report said.

The report showed the $1 million was part of a large grant in hopes to ensure Manchin’s vote on the bill:

The grant was part of a $6 million Department of Energy spending blitz in West Virginia last week, where the Biden administration is working to secure support for the American Jobs Plan from Manchin—a Democratic swing vote, with the power to make or break the administration’s legislative priorities in the Senate. The news raises questions for the Biden administration, which has already been accused of providing benefits to curry favor with Manchin. In March, the White House appointed Manchin’s wife Gayle to lead the Appalachian Regional Commission, a $175 million economic development agency, just two days after Manchin cast a divisive, last-minute vote to approve Biden’s embattled Pentagon policy nominee Colin Kahl.

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In addition to the $1 million grant to the U.S. Research Impact Alliance and $5 million to the West Virginia University Research Corporation, Granholm announced that a federally backed wind farm project would use steel purchased from West Virginia.

Manchin has previously acknowledged over the last few months his leverage over legislation in the Senate, including the American Jobs Plan, where he went as far as to say in April, “If I don’t vote to get on it, it’s not going anywhere. So we’re going to have some leverage here.”

Green and his wife have reportedly donated more than $11,000 to Manchin’s Senate campaigns since 2010. In addition, when Manchin was governor in 2009, he had “appointed Green to the West Virginia Board of Education. Green is also chairman of a local investment fund in which Manchin’s wife owns a financial stake, according to financial disclosure reports.”

Furthermore, “Green also serves as chairman of West Virginia Growth Investment, LLC, an investment fund that focuses on companies in the West Virginia area, according to his biography.” According to Manchin’s financial disclosure report, Gayle Manchin, the senator’s wife, also owns a stake in the same funds raging between $15,001 and $50,000.

The Beacon noted, Green, Manchin, the U.S. Research Impact Alliance, and the Department of Energy did not respond to requests for comment.