Don Blankenship, in case you aren’t familiar with him is sometimes call the “coal king.” As President and CEO of Massey Energy, his negligence led to the deaths of 29 coal miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010. Blankenship was found guilty of conspiracy to violate safety and health standards, which is a misdemeanor. And today he was sentenced for his crime.
Blankenship received one year in prison and another year on supervised release. For contributing to the deaths of 29 men, Blankenship will now have to spend 12 days in federal prison for each of those lives. 12 days for a life. Does that sound right to you?
The coal baron was found not guilty on more serious charges of securities fraud and making false statements to investigators. Those could have led to as much as 30 years in prison if he had been convicted. Instead, he got one year inside and one year of probation. Life sure is cheap if you’re a multimillionaire, isn’t it?
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Ruby commented after Blankenship was sentenced:
“Breaking mine safety laws kills people. Breaking mine safety laws kills coal miners. The defendant placed human lives in jeopardy.”
But it only gets you 12 days of incarceration for each of those lives that were snuffed out in that black pit approximating hell when the entire mine shaft exploded and became an inferno.
It’s not the fault of the judge who sentenced Blankenship. She gave him the maximum sentence allowable under the statute. But Blankenship, like the proverbial cat, landed on his feet. He was even able, after this terrible incident which left 29 dead, to sell Massey Energy and exit with a $12 million golden parachute. You can buy the best lawyers in the world for that kind of cash.
Also, please note that this is the same Don Blankenship who has called environmentalism and conservation “absolutely crazy,” and linked those causes to “communists and atheists.”
Personally, I prefer the company of communists and atheists to that of a murderer any day of the week.
Featured Image Via Raw Story
