The Intercept is uncovering the truth about Joe Manchin

The West Virginia senator has made millions from coal, and new reporting by The Intercept has uncovered just how much damage his companies have done.




When Sen. Joe Manchin announced that he wanted a “pause” on consideration of the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, he said his main concern was the federal debt being left to his grandkids. Most news coverage attributes his opposition to the conservative, coal-friendly politics of West Virginia.

But reporting by The Intercept has found that there may be other reasons why he’s balking at the bill: lobbyists, campaign contributions, and his own personal financial interests.

Earlier this year, The Intercept uncovered a leaked recording of a Zoom call between Manchin and billionaire donors discussing legislative strategy. Later, we exposed an audio recording of the same Wall Street-funded dark-money group dangling campaign contributions in front of other conservative Democrats who do their bidding.

And now, with our partners at Type Investigations, we published an expose into the environmental damage and worker safety violations of Manchin’s own coal companies.

This kind of deep-dive investigative journalism is time-consuming and expensive, and as a nonprofit news outlet, we rely on our readers to help foot the bill. Will you make a donation to help support the fearless reporting of The Intercept?

From the moment Joe Manchin emerged as the pivotal deciding vote on most legislation in the 50-50 Senate, The Intercept has been investigating his conflicts of interests, relationships with lobbyists, and campaign fundraising.

Our new investigation of Manchin’s dirty coal empire reveals not only how the industry has made him rich, but also the countless lives his businesses helped destroy by forcing workers to endure deadly working conditions and polluting the air, water, and climate.

Even the infrastructure bill’s relatively modest and incremental provisions could reduce the value of Manchin’s business interests, and the coal industry is lobbying mightily against them — as are Manchin’s Wall Street donors who have hired their own army of lobbyists to kill any provisions that would raise their taxes or hurt their bottom line.

Meanwhile, we’ve just uncovered evidence that Manchin’s daughter, former CEO of the drug company Mylan, worked directly with the CEO of Pfizer to jack up the prices of lifesaving EpiPens. This new information is especially interesting in light of Big Pharma’s opposition to the infrastructure bill’s provision allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug costs.

This kind of original reporting requires time, expertise, and deep research into public records to connect the dots between money and votes and uncover uncomfortable facts that powerful people on both sides of the aisle would rather keep hidden.

We’re not giving a pass to Joe Manchin or any other politician. And as a nonprofit news outlet, we rely on you, our readers, to power our reporting. Please chip in whatever you can afford to help support the tireless investigative journalism you count on The Intercept to deliver every day.

STAND WITH THE INTERCEPT →

Thank you,
The Intercept team

First Look Institute is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax ID number 80-0951255).

The Intercept’s mailing address is:
First Look Institute
P.O. Box 27442
Washington, DC 20038

The Intercept is an award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism. Our in-depth investigations and unflinching analysis focus on surveillance, war, corruption, the environment, technology, criminal justice, the media and more. Email is an important way for us to communicate with The Intercept’s readers, but if you’d like to stop hearing from us, click here to unsubscribe from all communications. Protecting freedom of the press has never been more important. Contribute now to support our independent journalism.

Key phrases

Older messages

Unusual Progressive-Centrist Alliance Wins Universal Child Care Subsidy

Thursday, September 16, 2021

The “major flex” by progressives and moderate Democrats eliminates means-testing for a child care credit in the party's reconciliation package. MOST READ Ten Months After Senate Election Loss, Sara

Two wars. 900,000 dead. $9 trillion down the drain.

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Many of the same talking heads are still advocating for endless war, even after President Joe Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the 20 years since 9/11, the United States has launched two

NIH Documents Provide New Evidence U.S. Funded Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan

Saturday, September 11, 2021

US-funded experiment in China posed biosafety risks but did not cause Covid-19 pandemic, scientists say. MOST READ NIH Documents Provide New Evidence US Funded Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan Sharon

Special event: Alexander Vindman on exposing Trump’s infamous phone call to Ukraine

Thursday, September 9, 2021

The retired lieutenant colonel will discuss what drove him to speak out — and the retaliation faced by those who challenge the abuse of power. Please join us for an important virtual event Wednesday,

New Details Emerge About Coronavirus Research at Chinese Lab

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

More than 900 pages of materials related to US-funded coronavirus research in China were released following a FOIA lawsuit by The Intercept. MOST READ New Details Emerge About Coronavirus Research at

You Might Also Like

Squeezed by African Coups, Biden Cozies Up to the World’s Worst Dictator

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Famous for its repression and torture, Teodoro Obiang's Equatorial Guinea got an aid delivery from US Special Operations forces. Most Read Elon Musk Fought Government Surveillance — While Profiting

Practically-A-Book Review: Rootclaim $100,000 Lab Leak Debate

Thursday, March 28, 2024

I watched 15 hours of COVID origins arguments so you don't have to - but you should! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

SIROTA’S SIGNALS: This Graph Explains The Discontent

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Plus, a nonprofit health care system secretly becomes a debt collector, regulators may help you find cheaper credit cards, and Big Tech's plan to keep preying on kids. SIROTA'S SIGNALS: This

Is Biden on track for defeat? The debate, explained.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Plus: How happy are you? What will SBF's sentence be? And more. March 28, 2024 View in browser Good morning! If you've consumed any kind of news about the 2024 presidential election cycle

Boat Probe, Opening Day, and a Cadbury Raccoon

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Facts, without motives. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

These 50 companies have donated over $23 million to election deniers since January 6, 2021

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Then, according to the report of the bipartisan January 6 Commission, Trump engaged in a "multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020

Numlock News: March 28, 2024 • Orcas, Visas, Dragons

Thursday, March 28, 2024

By Walt Hickey Visas As part of the budget signed into law on Saturday, $50 million has been allocated to the State Department to cut down on the passport backlog and reduce the long wait times for

☕️ Not so rational actors

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Robinhood is playing the long game with its new credit card... March 28, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew PRESENTED BY Aura Health Good morning. It's Opening Day for Major League

What A Day: The promised Lands

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Alabama's first election since the state's IVF fiasco yielded a Democratic blowout. Wednesday, March 27, 2024 BY CROOKED MEDIA – Former Neil Gorsuch clerk and current Trumpist Mike Davis,

GeekWire Mid-Week Update

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Read the top tech stories so far this week from GeekWire GeekWire Mid-Week Update Top stories so far this week Love it or hate it, Tesla Cybertruck turns heads in Seattle as GeekWire test drives