blankenship

Ray Blankenship looked out his window one morning to see a girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his home.

CEO Don Blankenship said the company lost shifts and productivity because of tougher enforcement by federal mining regulators.

Mr. Blankenship said he isn't worried about Amazon starting its own lending service.

In the memo, Mr. Blankenship instructed the company's underground mine superintendents to place coal production first.

Don Blankenship, Massey's boss, was at first rather blithe about safety violations, calling them "a normal part of the mining process" .

In 2004 Don Blankenship, the chief executive of Massey Energy, spent $3m to help elect Brent Benjamin to the state Supreme Court.

Critics say Mr. Blankenship's antagonism toward regulation reflects a disregard for worker safety and the environment.

Mr Blankenship was not, personally, a litigant and has done nothing illegal.

"Our operations struggled during the quarter and we are clearly disappointed with the results, " Blankenship said.

In that heroic moment, Ray Blankenship was truly a hero-you see, he couldn't swim!

For example, Blankenship last year contributed the federal maximum -- $30, 400 -- to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.