Don Blankenship
Donald Leon Blankenship (born March 14, 1950) is an American business executive, political candidate, and convicted criminal. He was chairman and CEO of the Massey Energy Company—the sixth-largest coal company (by 2008 production) in the United States—from 2000 until 2010 when an explosion at Massey's Upper Big Branch Mine resulted in the death of 29 workers. He was imprisoned for 1 year for conspiring to violate federal mine safety standards.
Don Blankenship | |
|---|---|
Blankenship in 2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Donald Leon Blankenship March 14, 1950 Stopover, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2018) Constitution (2018–2023) Democratic (2023–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Marshall University (BA) |
| Website | Official website |
| Criminal information | |
| Criminal charge | Conspiracy to violate mine safety and health standards |
| Penalty | 1 year in federal prison $250,000 fine |
On December 3, 2015, Blankenship was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, and was sentenced to one year in prison.
He has frequently spoken out about politics, the environment, unions, and coal production. In 2018, Blankenship lost a three-way Republican primary for the U.S. Senate to Patrick Morrisey.
Citing false information and dirty politics for his loss and claiming a personal unwillingness to quit, Blankenship attempted to run as the Constitution Party nominee, but was unable to get on the ballot and later endorsed Morrisey. In January 2024, he declared his candidacy as a Democrat for the United States Senate seat held by retiring Senator Joe Manchin in the 2024 election. Blankenship had switched his party registration sometime in 2023.