Imprisoned Coal Baron Makes Impassioned Case For His Innocence

[Coventina]

Source: Forbes

Reporters who covered the Don Blankenship criminal trial received yesterday an intriguing diatribe in their inboxes — a personal appeal from the former coal baron himself, as to why the people should believe in both his cause and his innocence. A federal appeals court will hear the case on October 26.

After arriving to his appointed prison in California in May, Blankenship has had an abundance of time to relive the circumstances in which 29 coal miners died in an underground explosion in April 2010. And he delivers an impassioned portrait of his true feelings, which is that he has been railroaded by an overly aggressive prosecution team that earned a misdemeanor conviction against him for violating federal workplace safety laws.

“Essentially I am in federal prison because Ruby believes that the (Upper Big Branch) mine should have had a few more miners, and that not having those miners caused safety violations to occur,” writes Blankenship. Steve Ruby is the lead prosecutor in the case, who partnered with the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, Booth Goodwin.

The trial concluded in December 2015, resulting in one misdemeanor conviction that landed the former chief executive of Massey Energy a one-year prison sentence — the maximum allowed. Blankenship was acquitted of two felonies alleging that he mislead investors, which could have tacked on about 30 years.



Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2016/10/06/imprisoned-coal-baron-makes-impassioned-case-for-his-innocence/#955831c41568

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I have no words for the contempt I have for this guy.

[catbyte]

1. Oh, boo fucking hoo. What a despicable POS.

[Crowman1979]

11. +1,000,000

[packman]

2. 29 miners dead should NOT equal 1 yr. in jail

And he now even wants that thrown away in the dustbin of justice. Unbelievable.

[ToxMarz]

3. Sickening, he obviously has too much time on his hands

He's worth $40 million and was fined $250,000. He won't even notice it. Sentenced to 1 year and has already served almost half, plus the "prison" he was sent to is more like going to camp. People are sentenced too more for having marijuana.

[Botany]

4. Blankenship spent > $1,000,000 on anti environment anti mine safety laws concert but ...

.... let his mine fill up w/coal dust and methane as he pushed for more production of coal
and to find ways to cut the costs in producing a ton of coal from $18 per ton ot $14 per ton
of coal. He once fired a housekeeper because she asked for another $2.00 per hour to clean
his house ..... she was making about $10.00 per hour @ the time.

Blankenship is a monster.

[turbinetree]

5. You caused the deaths of 29 human beings, did you have any remorse in your whining letter

I don't think so. And just think has anything been done in Congress to fix this problem: I don't think so

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/11/massey-don-blankenship-indictment-mine-safety

[wryter2000]

6. Rot in jail, murderer

[Yallow]

7. Run Coal - To Hell With What The Sensors Say

Or you're fired.

Now that is called leadership!

[Yallow]

8. If He Was Black And Poor His Sentence Would Be 1,000 Years

Don't forget.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Oh my God, do your fucking time

A year, and this guy is boo-hooing to the ends of the Earth. Wasn't this Mr. Tough Guy who went before Congress and acted an ass? He should be glad he's not looking at Skilling time, another obnoxious shithead who went all whiney when the gate slammed behind him.

[greatlaurel]

10. That was a ridiculously light sentence for the deaths of 29 human beings

Blankenship is the poster child for the fossil fuel industry, massive profits at the expense of workers, the local communities facing horrendous environmental damage and the the general public that pays for their profits directly and indirectly from the massive environmental damages to the air, water and climate. There is no way to stop the acid mine drainage that are destroying the water quality throughout the Appalachian Region from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

It is a miscarriage of justice that the sociopathic Blankenship is not in prison for the rest of his life. He is a danger to society.

[Yallow]

12. Hang Him

To heck with jail.

[mopinko]

13. note that misleading investors carries 30 years.

sheesh.