Don Blankenship
Donald Leon Blankenship | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1950 Stopover, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, former CEO |
| Known for | Former chairman and CEO of Massey Energy; 2020 Constitution Party presidential nominee; 2018 and 2024 U.S. Senate candidate |
Donald Leon Blankenship (born March 14, 1950) is an American entrepreneur who formerly served as chairman and CEO of Massey Energy, which ranked as the sixth-largest coal company in the United States by production volume in 2008. He led the company from 2000 until 2010, when a catastrophic explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine resulted in the deaths of 29 miners. Blankenship was sentenced to one year in federal prison for conspiring to breach mine safety regulations.
Blankenship has been a vocal figure on issues involving politics, environmental policies, labor unions, and coal mining operations. During the 2018 United States Senate election in West Virginia, he was defeated in the Republican primary by Patrick Morrisey. Following allegations of misinformation and political maneuvers, he attempted to run as a third-party candidate under the Constitution Party but did not qualify for the ballot; he subsequently endorsed Morrisey. In January 2024, Blankenship announced his candidacy as a Democrat for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Joe Manchin but lost the primary to Glenn Elliott. Additionally, he was the Constitution Party’s nominee in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Early life and education
Born in Stopover, Kentucky and raised in Delorme, West Virginia, Blankenship’s father was a Korean War veteran, while his mother, Nancy McCoy, belonged to the notable McCoy family. After their divorce, his mother managed a convenience store and gas station for four decades. He graduated from Matewan High School in 1968 and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Marshall University in 1972, completing his studies in three years while working as a coal miner during summer breaks.
He holds certification as a public accountant and was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Business and Industry Hall of Fame in 2002. Blankenship is also honored in the Tug Valley Mining Institute Hall of Fame.
Business career
Blankenship began his career at Massey Energy’s subsidiary Rawl Sales & Processing Co. in 1982, progressing through multiple positions. He served as president of Massey Coal Services, Inc. from 1989 to 1991 and held the roles of president and COO between 1990 and 1991. In 1992, he became president and chairman of A.T. Massey, marking the first time a non-family member led the company. Following A.T. Massey’s spin-off from Fluor Corporation into Massey Energy in 2000, Blankenship assumed the roles of chairman and CEO. He stepped down as CEO at the close of 2010, succeeded by Baxter F. Phillips Jr.
Renowned for stringent cost management, assertive contract litigation strategies, and opposition to unionization efforts, Blankenship actively engaged with miners to deter organizing attempts. In the 1980s, he characterized business competition as "survival of the most productive" within capitalist markets.
In 1996, Blankenship joined the board of directors at engineering firm Fluor Corporation. He also held board memberships with the Center for Energy and Economic Development, the National Mining Association, Mission West Virginia Inc., and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In 2009, his total compensation reached $17.8 million—the highest within the coal sector—an increase of $6.8 million over 2008 and nearly twice his earnings from 2007. That year also included deferred compensation valued at $27.2 million.
In 2011, Blankenship established McCoy Coal Group based in Kentucky, which is separate from James River Coal’s McCoy-Elkhorn subsidiary; this new venture has yet to apply for mining permits.
Political involvement
Blankenship remains a prominent participant in West Virginia's political landscape. In a 2008 address, he disparaged leading Democrats and environmental advocates, referring to them as "crazies" and "greeniacs." He has openly challenged media narratives, accusing liberal news organizations of unfair attacks, and claimed that the inquiry into the Upper Big Branch coal mine tragedy was prejudiced due to dependence on a single official from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
2018
In 2018, Blankenship sought election to the U.S. Senate, motivated by his discontent with federal coal regulations and West Virginia's political environment. He contested the incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin, centering his campaign advertisements on allegations of a government cover-up related to the Upper Big Branch explosion. Blankenship accused MSHA of falsifying documents and mandating the use of faulty ventilation equipment.
He expressed support for President Trump's border wall initiative and advocated for ending sanctuary cities as measures against drug trafficking, describing himself as "Trumpier than Trump." Despite this, national Republican leaders opposed his candidacy; Trump endorsed Blankenship’s primary challengers over concerns about general election viability. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also opposed him, leading Blankenship to publicly criticize McConnell throughout the campaign.
Blankenship attracted criticism for using a racial slur when referring to McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao. After losing the Republican primary to Patrick Morrisey, he continued his campaign under the West Virginia Constitution Party banner.
Throughout the race, Blankenship maintained that MSHA officials bore responsibility for negligence contributing to the Upper Big Branch disaster.
Following his defeat, Blankenship initiated defamation lawsuits against various media outlets for calling him a felon after his conviction and one-year imprisonment for federal criminal conspiracy—a misdemeanor charge. These lawsuits were dismissed at both trial and appellate levels, with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to review the decisions in October 2023.
2024
On January 26, 2024, Blankenship declared his intention to run for Manchin’s Senate seat as a Democrat after Manchin announced retirement in November 2023. The West Virginia Democratic Party swiftly repudiated his candidacy; chairman Mike Pushkin remarked that "Blankenship, or as he'll forever be known, federal prisoner 12393-088," does not align with party principles. Blankenship stated he would not affiliate with the Senate Democratic Caucus if elected.
He placed third in the Democratic primary with 18.5% of votes cast, trailing Zach Shrewsbury and winner Glenn Elliott. He secured victories in Gilmer, Logan, and Mingo counties.
2020 presidential campaign
Blankenship began pursuing the Constitution Party’s presidential nomination in October 2019 during their national committee meeting. He secured the nomination on the second ballot at the virtual Constitution Party Convention held on May 2, 2020, selecting William Mohr as his vice-presidential candidate. Their ticket garnered 60,080 votes in the general election.
Political positions
Blankenship is an advocate for Friends of Coal, a West Virginia-based organization that opposes environmental regulations. He urged then-President Trump to refrain from imposing stricter penalties on coal mine supervisors who violate safety rules, contending that tougher regulations would not enhance mine safety.
In 2016, he supported conservative factions working to reduce Democratic representation in the state legislature. That same year, Hillary Clinton’s campaign criticized him after he attended one of her events in Williamson, West Virginia.
Climate change
Blankenship disputes the scientific consensus on climate change. Speaking at the Tug Valley Mining Institute, he declared, "I don't believe climate change is real." He maintained this perspective in interviews with The Hill and Forbes.
In an October 2009 letter to The Charleston Gazette, Blankenship denied the reality of climate change and global warming, questioning the reliability of the United Nations due to its member composition. He asserted that "the environmental movement isn't a great cause, it's a great business," and accused government officials of dishonesty regarding both the Upper Big Branch mine disaster and global warming science.
During a 2018 Senate campaign town hall, Blankenship conceded that "climate change is probably a fact" but disputed that it results from U.S. activities, instead attributing increased coal production in China as the primary cause.
Mine safety
At a 2009 Labor Day event in West Virginia, Blankenship criticized federal and state mining regulators as ineffective, arguing that mining companies themselves are better equipped to ensure safe working conditions and should be subject to less government oversight. He remarked, "Washington and state politicians have no idea how to improve miners' safety."
Throughout his 2018 Senate bid, Blankenship blamed the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for the Upper Big Branch disaster, accusing the agency of mandating airflow targets within the mine.
Deborah May
Deborah May, a former employee, filed a lawsuit stating that personal abuse caused her stress leading to her resignation in November 2005. The complaint included minor incidents such as an incorrect fast-food order and misplaced items triggering conflicts with Blankenship.
In June 2008, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that May qualified for unemployment benefits after uncontested evidence showed Blankenship physically grabbed her, threw food following an order error, and damaged property in anger. The court labeled his behavior as "shocking," concluding May was effectively compelled to resign.
Upper Big Branch explosion
On April 5, 2010, an explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch mine resulted in 29 fatalities, marking the deadliest U.S. coal mining accident since 1970. NPR reported that Massey executive Stanley Suboleski stated the company opposed MSHA-ordered airflow adjustments made hours before the blast but complied regardless. Afterward, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, trustee of a major Massey stock fund, demanded CEO Don Blankenship’s immediate resignation due to failures in risk management and board oversight. Nevertheless, Massey’s board reiterated their full support for Blankenship shortly thereafter.
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and state officials commemorated the victims during a memorial service in Beckley, West Virginia. Prosecutors alleged Massey manipulated ventilation systems during inspections to mislead safety officials and disabled a methane detector prior to the explosion. In 2013, Blankenship was charged with conspiring to conceal safety violations from federal inspectors by alerting mine personnel about unannounced visits.
Convicted of a misdemeanor conspiracy to violate federal mine safety laws, Blankenship served a one-year prison term. He described himself as a "political prisoner," clashed publicly with Senator Joe Manchin and MSHA officials, contemplated running against Manchin for Senate, and called for renewed investigations into the disaster. In May 2017, he appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court citing political bias during his trial.
In August 2017, Blankenship financed a television advertisement featuring a sister of one of the miners killed in the explosion. The ad questioned MSHA’s role concerning airflow reductions preceding the blast and demanded transparency from government figures including Senators Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito. The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concluded that effective enforcement preventing gas and coal dust accumulation could have prevented the tragedy.
In August 2018, Blankenship’s campaign referenced a Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility report that identified prosecutorial misconduct during his trial; however, these errors were deemed unintentional. Despite this finding, his conviction was upheld on appeal.
Groundwater
Blankenship was accused of concealing information regarding contamination of groundwater. Legal documents disclosed that Massey Energy's practice of injecting coal slurry polluted wells situated near his residence. Although Blankenship arranged for a water supply line from a neighboring town for his personal consumption, he reportedly neither provided clean water to nearby residents nor alerted them about the contamination.
Campaign against Warren McGraw
In 2004, Blankenship donated $3 million to the political action committee "And For The Sake of the Kids" to oppose the reelection campaign of West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw. Brent Benjamin emerged victorious over McGraw, with Blankenship claiming his financial backing played a key role in "freeing West Virginia's economy and aiding working families." USA Today characterized Blankenship’s advertisements as "vitriolic," raising concerns over the influence of substantial financial contributions on judicial elections.
Significantly, prior to this campaign, Massey Coal had been ordered to pay $50 million in a civil lawsuit at the state level, a decision then under appeal. Benjamin, who benefited greatly from Blankenship's campaign support, served on the appellate court panel and declined to recuse himself despite allegations of conflict of interest. He cast the deciding vote that overturned the prior ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court later determined in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. that Benjamin’s refusal to step aside violated due process protections and sent the case back for further proceedings.
Washington journalist Michael Tomasky observed that Blankenship was "well-known in West Virginia for effectively purchasing a State Supreme Court Justice in 2004." While Blankenship was the chief financier of ASK, other organizations such as Doctors for Justice and Citizens for Quality Health Care also contributed funds opposing McGraw. Conversely, groups supporting McGraw and opposing Benjamin invested millions in the race.
Blankenship’s involvement is explored in detail in Laurence Leamer’s 2013 publication The Price of Justice and Peter Galuszka’s 2012 work Thunder on the Mountain, both addressing corruption and legal conflicts surrounding Massey Energy.
Conflict of interest with Spike Maynard
On January 15, 2008, photos emerged depicting Blankenship vacationing on the French Riviera alongside West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Spike Maynard while Massey had active litigation before the court. In April 2008, Blankenship was caught on tape threatening an ABC News photographer at a Massey site near Belfry, Kentucky. Maynard subsequently failed to secure reelection during the primary for the West Virginia Supreme Court. In February 2009, Blankenship stated he refrained from spending money to curry favor with politicians, focusing instead on removing "bad politicians."
Comments on Mitch McConnell
In April 2018, Blankenship released an advertisement labeling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as "cocaine Mitch," urging voters to reject him. A subsequent ad in May targeted McConnell, his wife Elaine Chao, and her family as his "China family," reiterating this nickname. The term referenced an incident where 90 pounds of cocaine were discovered on a vessel owned by McConnell’s father-in-law’s shipping company in 2014; however, authorities never implicated either the company or McConnell himself. The Washington Post fact-checker deemed this assertion baseless.
McConnell responded by answering Senate calls as "Cocaine Mitch." Following Blankenship’s primary defeat, McConnell's campaign released a photoshopped image parodying Netflix's Narcos, ridiculing Blankenship with the caption "Thanks for playing, Don."
Controversy over racism
When questioned about whether Blankenship's political advertisement titled "China Family" was racially insensitive, McConnell chose to withhold his opinion until the conclusion of the Republican primary. Blankenship rejected claims of racism, stating that "Chinese are not a race" and categorizing races as "Negro, White Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian."
Personal life
Blankenship is a father to two children. In 2005, he appeared in the West Virginia Public Broadcasting documentary, The Kingmaker.