Donald L. Blankenship, one of the most powerful men in West Virginia and former chairman and CEO of Massey Energy, is presently on trial in federal court as a result of a fatal accident involving one of his company’s coal mines according to a recent New York Times article. Back in April of 2010, the death of Blankenship’s 29 employees brought to light the company’s purportedly less-than-stellar safety record. Indeed, the accident is known as America’s deadliest coal mining disaster in almost four decades. The case against him is the first of its kind to press criminal charges against a coal baron, which alleges willful violation of safety laws in pursuit of profits. Continue reading
Secretly Recorded Conversations May Lead to Coal Baron’s Trail
Posted on December 24, 2015 by Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum