Ex-Msha Chief, Spokesman for Ubb Disaster Accused of Fraud

By Jessie Shafer
WOWK
April 15, 2012

http://www.wowktv.com/story/17452737/ex-msha-chief-spokesman-for-ubb-disaster-accused-of-fraud

From 2005 - 2011, David McAteer and his alma mater and current employer, Wheeling Jesuit University, billed expenses to federal grant programs. This is according to new court records. McAteer was hand-picked by then WV governor, now US senator Joe Manchin to oversee independent investigations of three coal mine disasters since 2006.. Those include the Sago explosion, the Alma number 1 mine fire, and the Upper Big Branch explosion.

An agent in the NASA office of Inspector General obtained search warrants, after light was shed by several unidentified witnesses that funds were being misused.

Authorities are saying that university may be tied to the investigation.... Including possible charges of theft of funds, conspiracy, false claims, and wire fraud . This investigation has been underway since 2010, and there is evidence, according to investigators, that MSHA, the agency McAteer ran from 1992 - 2000, was also defrauded.

McAteer denies all claims and says the charges are absolutely false.