Don Blankenship
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Don Blankenship is President/CEO & Chairman of Massey Energy, a coal mining corporation. He is known for his participation in politics, particularly in West Virginia and Kentucky, where Massey has substantial holdings.
In 2004, he spent millions of his own dollars campaigning against the re-election of West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals justice Warren McGraw. One ad he sponsored criticized McGraw for joining in a decision that allowed a convicted sex offender to remain on probation and also keep employment as a school custodian. That ad and the unprecedented intensity of the campaign virtually ensured Brent Benjamin's win.
More recently, "Blankenship's efforts also contributed to the defeat of Gov. Joe Manchin's $5.5 billion pension bond sale proposal during a general election in 2005"[1]. In 2006, Blankenship spent millions of his own dollars on behalf of Republican candidates for the West Virginia Legislature.
Blankenship's 2006 campaign resulted in Republicans actually losing four seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates, instead of winning a dozen or more seats, as Blankenship had predicted[2].
The intense involvement of an out-of-state resident in West Virginia politics is alarming to some state residents[3]. Blankenship's initiatves have drawn heavy criticism and a strong response from WV Democrats [4].
Even among Republicans, Blankenship's efforts receive a mixed response with at least two Republican candidates for the legislature returning Don Blankenship campaign contributions[5].
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS01/609010333/1001/NEWS10
- ^ http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Today/2006110827
- ^ http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060824/OPINION/608240327/1034
- ^ http://wvdemocrats.com/who_is_don/index.html
- ^ http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS01/609010333/1001/NEWS10
