Blankenship and Frivolous Lawsuits

The Huntington News gives us some insight:

Charleston, WV (HNN) — Citing a veritable “flood of lawsuits” filed by AT Massey and its CEO Don Blankenship in recent months, Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 called on Republican legislators receiving financial support from Blankenship to call on their financial patron to “quit filing frivolous lawsuits and damaging West Virginian’s reputation in order to promote himself.”

“Mr. Blankenship appears to be engaging in political campaigning by lawsuit,” said Mr. Casey. “In recent months he and his associated companies have filed a staggering number of lawsuits against his political and business opponents. Far from being ‘for the sake of the kids’ these lawsuits seem calculated to keep his name in the papers and to intimidate those who disagree with him,” added Casey.

Some of the victims of Mr. Blankenship’s lawsuit hit parade include…

…

?Governor Joe Manchin

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Spike Maynard

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Joe Albright

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Larry Starcher

Boone County Court Reporter Jennifer Meadows

The United Mine Workers of America

Cecil Roberts, UMWA President

Kenny Perdue, AFL-CIO President

The Charleston Gazette

“Mr. Blankenship and his associated companies’ actions hurt the reputation of West Virginia and tie up the civil justice system for those who have legitimate claims and who are seeking justice as opposed to political payback,” said Casey, “and he’s doing so with the help of Robert Luskin, an out-of-state Washington lawyer who once represented a man ‘convicted of laundering more than $100 million for various Columbian drug kingpins.’” (See The Hill, July 21, 2005)

The U.S. Department of Justice required Mr. Luskin to surrender a portion of his attorneys fees paid to him by his client, Stephen Saccoccia, after they discovered that he was paid in – of all things – 44 gold bars worth more than $500,000. Yep – you read it right, Mr. Blankenship’s lawyer was once paid his attorney’s fees in gold bars by a man who was convicted of laundering drug money with precious metals.”

Mr. Blankenship should dismiss Mr. Luskin so he can go back to representing drug kingpins and Karl Rove and quit clogging up our courts with these non-sense lawsuits.

About JW Randolph

Raised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.