Joe Manchin hasn’t fully dished on his plans now that he’s not running for re-election to the Senate seat he’s held since 2010. In January, he visited New Hampshire to kick off what he called a national “listening tour,” encouraging press speculation about a possible third-party presidential run, perhaps with the “dark money” group No Labels. Also, late last year he launched a new centrist, political nonprofit organization with his daughter for which he’s been raising money.
After Manchin announced on November 9 that he would not be running in what looked to be a challenging West Virginia race, the senator has taken two paths with his fundraising committees. His campaign committee refunded millions of dollars in contributions at the end of last year, but his leadership PAC has not issued refunds for contributions it received this cycle, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings.
Many business PACs donated to the senator’s leadership PAC, named Country Roads, after Manchin announced his decision to retire from the Senate—several in the energy industry, with interests in front of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that Manchin chairs through 2024.
Manchin’s Senate office and leadership PAC did not respond to Sludge’s inquiries about their decision to refund campaign donations while holding on—as of December 31—to leadership PAC donations.
