The former CEO of coal giant Massey Energy has been indicted on charges that he conspired to violate Federal mine safety regulations, which resulted in the deaths of 29 people in 2010 at the Upper Big Branch mine. Don "Big Shit" Blankenship became a symbol of predatory corporate greed in the aftermath of the mining disaster, with his hand in tea party events and his role in undermining safety and health regulations to maximize profits.
Big Shit faces up to 31 years in prison if convicted on all four counts of conspiracy. We sincerely hope that he receives the maximum, with no chance of parole. As outgoing Sen. Jay Rockefeller said,
"As he goes to trial, he will be treated far fairer and with more dignity than he ever treated the miners he employed. And, frankly, it's more than he deserves."(photo: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.")
