View source for Alan Mollohan

{{Short description|American politician (born 1943)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Alan Mollohan
|image = Alan Mollohan 111th Congressional portrait.jpg
|state = [[West Virginia]]
|district = {{ushr|WV|1|1st}}
|term_start = January 3, 1983
|term_end = January 3, 2011
|predecessor = [[Bob Mollohan]]
|successor = [[David McKinley]]
|birth_name = Alan Bowlby Mollohan
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|5|14}}
|birth_place = [[Fairmont, West Virginia]], U.S.
|death_date = 
|death_place = 
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse = Barbara Whiting
|children = 5
|relatives = [[Bob Mollohan]] (father)
|education = [[College of William and Mary]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[West Virginia University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1970–1983
|rank = [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
|unit = [[United States Army Reserve]]
|module = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=Rep. Alan Mollohan Speaks on FY2008 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.ogg |title=Mollohan's voice |type=speech |description=Mollohan discusses FY2008 appropriations for the Commerce, Justice, and Science departments.<br>Recorded July 25, 2007}}
}}
'''Alan Bowlby Mollohan''' (born May 14, 1943) is an American politician who served as the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for {{ushr|WV|1}} from 1983 to 2011. He was a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and the [[Blue Dog Coalition]].

The district encompasses the northern part of the state; it is based in [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]] and includes [[Parkersburg, West Virginia|Parkersburg]], [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]], [[Fairmont, West Virginia|Fairmont]] and [[Clarksburg, West Virginia|Clarksburg]]. He served on the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Appropriations Committee]] and was ranking Democrat on the [[United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|Ethics Committee]] until being asked to step down in 2006. He was defeated in the Democratic [[Partisan primary|primary election]] held on May 11, 2010, by [[Mike Oliverio]].<ref name=WaPo>Washington Post (2010). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120927060529/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/house/alan-mollohan-loses-primary-fi.html Alan Mollohan loses primary fight]. Retrieved May 11, 2010.</ref>

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Fairmont, West Virginia]], Mollohan is the son of former U.S. Representative [[Robert Mollohan]]. He attended [[Greenbrier Military School]] and graduated from the [[College of William & Mary]]. Thereafter, Mollohan completed a [[Juris Doctor]] at [[West Virginia University College of Law]].

== Early career ==
He served as "Of Counsel" for the [[Huntington, West Virginia]] branch of the law firm [[Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough]].<ref name="nelsonmullins1">{{cite news |url=http://www.nelsonmullins.com/attorneys/alan-mollohan |title=Alan B. Mollohan Of Counsel |publisher=nelsonmullins.com |access-date=2014-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224253/http://www.nelsonmullins.com/attorneys/alan-mollohan |archive-date=2014-04-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Military service ===
He served in the [[United States Army Reserve]] from 1970 to 1983, reaching the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]].<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=msu.31293012374389&view=1up&seq=238&q1=Mollohan 1985-1986 Official Congressional Directory: 99th Congress]</ref>

==U.S. House of Representatives==

===Committee assignments===
*[[United States House Committee on Appropriations|Committee on Appropriations]]
**[[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies|Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies]] (Chairman)
**[[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security|Subcommittee on Homeland Security]]
**[[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies|Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies]]

==Political campaigns==
When Mollohan's father retired in 1982 after 18 years in Congress spread out over two stints, his son won a very competitive contest to succeed him. He faced another close race in 1984, but was unopposed for a third term in 1986. He did not face serious opposition in a general election again. Indeed, the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] only put up a candidate against him four other times, in 1988, 1990, 1994 and 2006. He ran unopposed in 1992, 1996, 2002 and 2008 and only faced [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] Richard Kerr in 1998 and 2000.

He faced stiff electoral competition when, in 1992, West Virginia lost a House seat due to the 1990 Census. The redistricting placed Mollohan against [[West Virginia's 2nd congressional district|2nd District]] Congressman [[Harley O. Staggers, Jr.|Buckey Staggers]]. No other party put up a candidate, meaning that the Democratic primary was [[tantamount to election]]. It was predicted to be a tough primary even though the new district was more Mollohan's district than Staggers', but Mollohan succeeded in winning his party's nomination with 60% of the vote.<ref>Barone. Almanac of American Politics. 2006 edition. Pages 1793–1795.</ref>

===2010===
{{see also|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia#District 1}}
Mollohan faced a Democratic primary challenge on May 11, 2010, and lost to State senator [[Mike Oliverio]], 56% to 44%.<ref name="WaPo" /> It was Mollohan's first contested primary since he faced [[Harley Staggers Jr.]] in 1992 after their Congressional districts were merged.<ref name="Surber">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/9559|title=Cook Report: Mollohan and Rahall are in trouble|last=Surber|first=Don|date=February 19, 2010|work=[[Charleston Daily Mail]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|location=[[Charleston, West Virginia]]| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100428055906/http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/9559| archive-date= 28 April 2010 | url-status= dead}}</ref>

Since his first election in 1982 he 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.<ref name="2006 Election">{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2006ProclamationsCertifiedResultsFederal.pdf|title=2006 General Election Results|date=December 20, 2006|publisher=[[West Virginia Secretary of State]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401024017/http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2006ProclamationsCertifiedResultsFederal.pdf|archive-date=1 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Controversies==
{{Undue weight section|date=May 2022}}
On February 28, 2006, the [[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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060420202421/http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=1346 Press Release: NLPC Complaint Alleges Ranking House Ethics Committee Member Hid Assets and Funded Business Partner’s Groups with Millions in Earmarks]; 7 April 2006, nlpc.org, via [[Archive.org]]</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wilke |first=John R. |date=7 April 2006 |title=Appropriations, Local Ties And Now a Probe of a Legislator |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |location=FAIRMONT, W.Va. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114438416727219853 |access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite news |last=Rudoren |first=Jodi |date=2006-04-08 |title=Congressman's Special Projects Bring Complaints - New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=West Virginia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/08/washington/08earmarks.html?ex=1302148800&en=8ae67a7eb4c5ae87&ei=5088 |access-date=2010-07-12}}</ref><ref name="UPI">{{cite news |date=April 7, 2006 |title=W. Va. congressman earmarks well |publisher=[[UPI]] |url=https://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060407-111032-2195r |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609125849/http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2006/04/07/wva_congressman_earmarks_well/2195/ |archive-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref>  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.<ref name="Earmarks Graphic">{{cite news |date=April 7, 2006 |title=Local Projects, Federal Funds |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/04/07/washington/20060408_EARMARK_GRAPHIC.html |access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>  Leaders of these groups were sometimes investors with him, possibly leading to his own personal gain.<ref name="washingtonpost1">{{cite news |last=Leonnig |first=Carol D. |author-link=Carol D. Leonnig |date=November 24, 2009 |title=Mollohan, under Justice Department probe, chairs appropriations subcommittee |work=washingtonpost.com |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009112303602.html |access-date=2010-07-12}}</ref>

On April 21, 2006, [[House Minority Leader]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] announced that Mollohan would temporarily step down as the Ranking Democrat on the [[United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|House Ethics Committee]]. [[Howard Berman]] of [[California]] took Mollohan's place.

On April 25, 2006, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that Mollohan and CEO Dale R. McBride of FMW Composite Systems Inc. of [[Bridgeport, West Virginia]] made a joint purchase of a {{convert|300|acre|km2|adj=on}} farm along West Virginia's [[Cheat River]]. Mollohan had directed a $2.1 million government contract [[earmark (finance)|earmarked]] to FWM Composite Systems to develop lightweight payload pallets for space-shuttle missions. [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] agents have asked 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 corrections to his disclosure statements.

In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that no charges would be filed against Mollohan and that it had closed its investigation.<ref>{{cite web |date=2010-01-26 |title=Mollohan says he's been cleared by Justice Department - Politics - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports |url=http://www.wvgazette.com/News/politics/201001260259 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604053230/http://www.wvgazette.com/News/politics/201001260259 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |access-date=2010-07-12 |publisher=Wvgazette.com}}</ref> Ben Friedman of the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington told CREW that the Justice Department has "closed the investigation into the case."<ref>{{cite web |title=Justice probe clears Mollohan &#124; Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington |url=http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/43985 |access-date=2010-07-12 |publisher=Citizensforethics.org}}{{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="Yachnin">{{cite news |last=Yachnin |first=Jennifer |date=January 27, 2010 |title=DOJ Ends Mollohan Probe; Is Ethics Next? |work=[[Roll Call]] |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_82/news/42662-1.html |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223070816/http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_82/news/42662-1.html |archive-date=23 February 2010}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{Election box begin no change |title=2010 Democratic Primary Results, West Virginia 1st Congressional District<ref name="Statewide Results">{{Cite web|url=https://apps.sos.wv.gov/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2010&eid=5&county=Statewide|title=Statewide Results|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|accessdate=27 August 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = [[Mike Oliverio]]
  |votes      = 36,135
  |percentage = 55.91%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan (incumbent)
  |votes      = 28,500
  |percentage = 44.09%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 64,635
  |percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
  |title=[[2008 United States House of Representatives elections]]<ref name="2008 Election">{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2008%20General%20Election%20US%20House.pdf|title=2008 General Election Results|publisher=[[West Virginia Secretary of State]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326190411/http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2008%20General%20Election%20US%20House.pdf|archive-date=26 March 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan
  |votes      = 187,734
  |percentage = 99.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Write-in candidate
  |candidate  = Ted Osgood
  |votes      = 69
  |percentage = 0.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Write-in candidate
  |candidate  = R.J. Smith
  |votes      = 61
  |percentage = 0.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
  |title=[[2006 United States House of Representatives elections]]<ref name="2006 Election" /> }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan
  |votes      = 100,939
  |percentage = 64.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Chris Wakim
  |votes      = 55,963
  |percentage = 35.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Write-in candidate
  |candidate  = Bennie Kyle
  |votes      = 29
  |percentage = 0.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Write-in candidate
  |candidate  = David Moran
  |votes      = 69
  |percentage = 0.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
  |title=[[2004 United States House of Representatives elections]]<ref name="2004 Election">{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/allgeneral04.pdf |title=2004 General Election Results |publisher=[[West Virginia Secretary of State]] |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401024027/http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/allgeneral04.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan
  |votes      = 166,583
  |percentage = 67.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Parks 
  |votes      = 79,196
  |percentage = 32.2
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
  |title=[[2002 United States House of Representatives elections]]<ref name="2002 Election">{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/federal2002%20General.pdf|title=2002 General Election Results|publisher=[[West Virginia Secretary of State]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401024125/http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/federal2002%20General.pdf|archive-date=1 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan
  |votes      = 110,941
  |percentage = 99.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Write-in candidate
  |candidate  = Louis Davis
  |votes      = 320
  |percentage = 0.3
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
  |title=[[2000 United States House of Representatives elections]]<ref name="2000 Election">{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2000%20general.pdf|title=2000 General Election Results|publisher=[[West Virginia Secretary of State]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326185734/http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/2000%20general.pdf|archive-date=26 March 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Alan Mollohan
  |votes      = 170,974
  |percentage = 87.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Richard Kerr 
  |votes      = 23,797
  |percentage = 12.2
}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{CongLinks | congbio=m000844 | votesmart=27130 | fec=H2WV01029 | congress= }}<!-- Links formerly displayed via the {{CongLinks}} template:
* [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/400281 Congressional profile] at [[GovTrack]]
* [http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/400281_Alan_Mollohan Congressional profile] at [[Participatory Politics Foundation|OpenCongress]]
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00002214 Financial information (federal office)] at [[Center for Responsive Politics|OpenSecrets.org]]
* [http://www.legistorm.com/member/383/Rep_Alan_Bowlby_Mollohan.html Staff salaries, trips and personal finance] at LegiStorm.com
* [http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Alan_Mollohan.htm Issue positions and quotes] at [[On the Issues]]
* [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/person/8577 Appearances] on [[C-SPAN]] programs
* -->
*{{C-SPAN|8577}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Bob Mollohan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from West Virginia|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[West Virginia's 1st congressional district]]|years=1983–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David McKinley]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Howard Berman]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Ranking Member of the [[United States House Committee on Ethics|House Ethics Committee]]|years=2003–2006}}
{{s-aft|after=Howard Berman}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Earl Blumenauer]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jim McDermott]]|as=Former U.S. Representative}}
{{s-end}}

{{WestVirginiaUSRepresentatives}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=98th–111th [[United States Congress]] |state=[[United States congressional delegations from West Virginia|West Virginia]]}}
{{USCongRep/WV/98}}
{{USCongRep/WV/99}}
{{USCongRep/WV/100}}
{{USCongRep/WV/101}}
{{USCongRep/WV/102}}
{{USCongRep/WV/103}}
{{USCongRep/WV/104}}
{{USCongRep/WV/105}}
{{USCongRep/WV/106}}
{{USCongRep/WV/107}}
{{USCongRep/WV/108}}
{{USCongRep/WV/109}}
{{USCongRep/WV/110}}
{{USCongRep/WV/111}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mollohan, Alan}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:20th-century West Virginia politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:21st-century West Virginia politicians]]
[[Category:Baptists from West Virginia]]
[[Category:College of William & Mary alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Greenbrier Military School alumni]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Fairmont, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of Congress who became lobbyists]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Fairmont, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Politicians from Fairmont, West Virginia]]
[[Category:United States Army reservists]]
[[Category:West Virginia lawyers]]
[[Category:West Virginia University College of Law alumni]]