Now, this could all be one big coincidence, but I highly doubt it.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s PAC saw an increase of donations from corporate donors in the two months before his announcement that he would not support President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better social spending package.

According to CNBC’s analysis of Federal Election Commission filings, Manchin’s leadership PAC, Country Roads, received 36 donations from corporations in the last two months and raised close to $260,000 in that time period.

Hmmmm.

According to The Hill, in November, Country Roads PAC received corporate contributions in the range of $2,500 to $5,000 from donors including American Express, Goldman Sachs, Lockheed Martin, UnitedHealth Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield and CNX Resources, a natural gas company, last month, according to the news outlet.

The total amount raised last month amounted to $110,000.

Manchin’s PAC raised over $150,000 in October from widely known corporations such as Verizon, Union Pacific, Wells Fargo and PACs tied to the coal and mining industries, according to CNBC.

CNBC also noted that “none of the four months prior to October saw as many corporate contributions.”

The news of Manchin receiving these donations comes after the senator announced on “Fox News Sunday” that he will not vote for Biden’s social spending bill, most likely killing a crucial part of the administration’s domestic agenda and top legislative priority.

“I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there,” Manchin told host Bret Baier. “This is a ‘no’ on this legislation.”

Many business groups and leaders have lobbied Manchin to oppose the social spending package, which includes provisions to combat climate change. Before announcing his opposition to the bill, Manchin came out against a number of these provisions.

Money talks, people.

Country Roads PAC also spent thousands of dollars on hotel arrangements and travel over the last two months, which includes spending more than $40,000 in November at The Greenbrier, a luxury resort that is owned by Gov. Jim Justice’s (R) family, CNBC reported.

According to the FEC filing, the money was used for catering, lodging, food and beverages, CNBC noted.

Also from CNBC, “In October, the PAC spent over $1,000 on travel for Manchin’s son, Joseph Manchin IV, according to that month’s filing. The Intercept reported that Manchin’s son has leadership roles at companies with ties to the West Virginia lawmaker.”

The purpose of the thousands of dollars spent on hotels, meals and travel is unclear. A representative for Manchin’s office did not return a request for comment.

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