don blankenship
January 24, 2019 -
Legislators in Kentucky and West Virginia are discussing constitutional amendments to give governors unprecedented control over choosing judges, who are currently elected. The moves are part of a broader trend of Republican politicians asserting more control over the judiciary.
August 17, 2018 -
The entire West Virginia Supreme Court — already in the crosshairs of corporate special interests — was recently impeached by the Republican-controlled state House for overspending, lavish renovations, and, in the case of one justice, criminal corruption charges. But Democrats see what's happening as a GOP power grab that comes amid a broader trend of conservative attacks on the judiciary.
May 18, 2018 -
An Arkansas judge blocked an election ad by the conservative Judicial Crisis Network attacking a state Supreme Court judge, citing libel concerns. If the group, which spends millions to influence state and federal courts, appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, its spending would present an ethical dilemma for Justice Neil Gorsuch.
December 14, 2017 -
Daniel Boyd's graphic novel "Carbon" features a villain modeled on former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who just completed a prison stint for his role in the deadly 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia. We talked with Boyd about Blankenship's political aspirations and his state's troubled relationship with coal.
May 13, 2016 -
Despite a public financing program and an election recently changed to be nonpartisan, West Virginia's recent state Supreme Court race was flooded with outside money. Independent groups spent over $3.5 million, and the biggest beneficiary won by a landslide.
December 10, 2015 -
The UAW wins in Tennessee. A West Virginia coal boss is found guilty. A populist Democrat wins the governor's race in Louisiana. And firefighters organize in Mississippi.
July 10, 2015 -
Wealthy special interests are increasingly spending money to influence state judicial races, threatening the independence of judges and damaging public confidence in the integrity of the courts.
