Don L. Blankenship Addresses the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Company, No. 08-22

SPRIGG, W.Va., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a personal statement from Don L. Blankenship.

"I was born in Appalachia and have spent almost my entire life as a resident of West Virginia. I have seen this State rated at or near the bottom in almost every ranking related to business and quality of life for decades, and that troubles me.

"As a result, I often speak out and try to help change West Virginia for the better. In 2005, I worked to defeat a pension bond referendum that likely saved West Virginia pensioners $1.5 billion. In 2006, I fought to repeal the State food tax, which I believe hurts the State's working poor.

"The judicial election of 2004 was no different. I decided to oppose the candidacy of Justice Warren McGraw because I felt that his decisions and behavior were typical of the problems we have faced in West Virginia and Appalachia for too long. I was not the only one. Doctors and business and civic leaders voiced great opposition to Justice McGraw. Every newspaper, but one, endorsed Justice McGraw's opponent Brent Benjamin and he won the election by a wide margin. Nearly every business leader in West Virginia opposed McGraw's candidacy in the primary election but felt he was unbeatable in the general election, yet hardly any of these businesses had cases before the court.

"Simply put, I helped defeat a judge who had released a pedophile to work in a local school, who had driven doctors out of state, and who had cost workers their jobs for thirty plus years. I think this effort helped unchain West Virginia's economy and benefited working families. I have never heard the out-of-state lawyers who have attacked me explain, or even be asked, why they made contributions in support of Justice McGraw. I have also never seen them involved in any other issue of civic concern in our State.

"Like millions of other Americans I contributed my time, my energy and, yes, my money to oppose a candidate I disagreed with personally and politically. It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court's ruling is being reported as a matter of corporate influence and judicial review. This is not and was not ever about the company I have served for more than 27 years or the industry I have worked for the majority of my entire life.

"While I remain optimistic about the ultimate outcome of the Harman case as it heads back to West Virginia, I hope the Supreme Court's ruling will not silence others from speaking out when change is needed. West Virginia has made significant strides since the defeat of Justice McGraw. Further improvement will only continue if West Virginians feel that they can freely exercise their right to ask for better government."