Blankenship repeats ‘not guilty’ plea

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Blankenship repeats ‘not guilty’ plea

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

By Ken Ward Jr., Staff writer
[e-mail]
304-348-1702
@kenwardjr

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship this morning repeated his denial of the criminal charges against him, when he was re-arraigned on a revised indictment that accuses him of conspiracy to violate mine safety laws and impede federal inspectors and of lying to investors and securities regulators about Massey safety practices.

“Not guilty,” Blankenship told U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Clarke VanDervort during a brief hearing in Beckley.

Blankenship was released on the $5 million bond approved by VanDervort after an original grand jury indictment was handed up in November. Requests by Blankenship to ease restrictions on his pre-trial travel and other conditions of his release are pending.

Under the new indictment, Blankenship faces three felony counts and, if convicted of all three, he would face a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison. The previous indictment included three felony charges and one misdemeanor that carried a total maximum sentence of 31 years.

[Romeo.lima333]

1. let's hope for all 3 .. nt

[Panich52]

2. Lock him deep in one of his mines for those 31 years

[Staph]

3. No!

Build him a special prison at the base of one of his "mountaintop removal" mines, and let him drink unfiltered runoff water from that mine for the rest of his life!