Finally, one of these bastards has to pay for his crime.
One day after the sixth anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, which killed 29 men, U.S. District Judge Irene Berger gave the ex-Massey Energy CEO the maximum prison time and fined him the maximum $250,000. A federal jury convicted Mr. Blankenship on Dec. 3 of a misdemeanor conspiracy to violate mine safety standards at Upper Big Branch.
Does he get it? Of course not.
“It is important to everyone that you know that I’m not guilty of a crime,” Mr. Blankenship said.
Um, yes you are. That's what being convicted means. It would be nice if his actions bankrupted him, because I frankly feel the most appropriate penalty for a rich criminal is to impoversh him. Unfortunatly, he'll still live quite comfortably on the millions he bankrolled by cutting corners on safety.