Register editor
West Virginia Republicans were on edge Tuesday night at the prospect that Don Blankenship had a fighting chance to become their Senate nominee. If the name rings a bell, its because Blankenship was the big-time CEO of Massey Energy, the coal mining company found responsible for the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine explosion that killed 29 miners. Massey served a year in prison for his companys negligence, and was released last year.
Ever since, hes been seeking revenge, saying it was politicians that blew up that mine and then put me in prison.
Blankenship ran on an anti-establishment platform, claiming he was Trumpier than Trump. Blankenship also accused Senate leader Mitch McConnell of having ties to drug cartels. McConnell is married to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, whose father, a Chinese immigrant, founded the New York shipping company, Foremost Group. In 2014, cocaine was discovered on one of its tankers traveling from Colombia to the Netherlands.
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