W VA Coal Mine-mid-level managers charged & are COOPERATING with the feds to go after HIGHER-UPS

[kpete]

The federal government has continued the investigation and has filed criminal charges. Not only that, but those charged are not low-level underlings chosen to take the fall but mid-level managers and they are cooperating with the feds to go after higher-ups.
http://cabdrollery.blogspot.com/2012/02/justice.htmlhttp://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Final-report-on-W-Va-mine-blast-comes-amid-charge-3354773.php

.......................................


The superintendent of the West Virginia coal mine where an explosion killed 29 men was charged Wednesday with conspiracy to defraud the federal government, becoming the highest-ranking Massey Energy employee to face criminal prosecution so far over the deadly blast.

Former Upper Big Branch mine boss Gary May, 43, of Bloomingrose, W.Va., is named in a federal information, a document that signals a defendant is cooperating with prosecutors. He is the second Massey employee to face prosecution in the case. ...

The information filed in U.S. District Court in Beckley accuses May of conspiring with others to conceal many dangers in the mine through an elaborate scheme that included code words to alert miners underground when inspectors were on the property, the deliberate alteration of approved ventilation plans and the deliberate disabling of a methane gas monitor on the continuous mining machine.

May allegedly ordered the wiring to be altered in February 2010 so the automatic shut-off mechanism was disabled, allowing the machine to function for several hours without a methane monitor. ...
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/53567984-79/mine-coal-blast-federal.html.csp

The information says Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co. and its managers routinely violated a host of federal mine safety laws for fear that violations would cut into production time.

more:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-accuse-wva-mine-boss-fraud-highest-ranking-15764958#.T0cC_Icgc1I

another link:
Mine Superintendent Charged in 2010 Disaster
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/us/3rd-worker-indicted-in-wake-of-2010-mine-disaster.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23

[jsmirman]

1. K&R *

nm

[varelse]

2. good

[Suich]

3. If they get Blankenship, I'll be very, very happy!

Not holding my breath, though.

[denbot]

4. The wanton disreguard of safety leading to death is murder.

No more hiding behind a supposed corporate "person" for senior management.

[Petrushka]

6. Exactly! (eom)

[AnotherMcIntosh]

11. If true, when do the laws regarding manslaughter apply? If ever?

Do you realize that if a person is convicted of murder under facts that would only justify a conviction for manslaughter, an appellate court can reverse a murder conviction?

The distinction between murder and manslaughter (with its variations) has existed under the law for centuries.

Do you realize that if new criminal rules are made up to apply to a situation whenever someone feels passionate about the subject, then we have no law?

Why is that better than applying the existing rule of law?

[Lugnut]

5. This is great news! n/t

[Petrushka]

7. Thank you for the links! Posted on my FB wall. (eom)

[Kurmudgeon]

8. Glad to hear it. Tired of seeing the big boys skate while the underlings pay the price.

[malaise]

9. Great news

Rec

[Kingofalldems]

10. This makes the election even more important

Repubs would quietly drop all charges.

[onethatcares]

12. now watch for those suicides and car accidents to start.

along with a long delayed trial.

My guess is it will take over 5 years for a trial to actually take place, by that time survivors will have taken

settlements in lieu of prosecution and Massey energy will go bancrupt and go out of business only to resurrect

er another name with the same crew.

I don't know why I think that way but it was the first thing to come to mind.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

13. As said by the father of one of those killed in the April 2010 mine explosion, "It's about time."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-accuse-wva-mine-boss-fraud-highest-ranking-15764958#.T0cC_Icgc1I

A cynical person might think that Holder et al having been saving this for an election cycle, and that the now-anticipated prosecution of higher-ups appears to be inconsistent with all previous history of Holder and the Obama Administration, but I know that Obama is doing a great job and that announced potential prosecution of higher-ups is not being done for political purposes.

[nanabugg]

14. Obama's Justice Department is doing a stealth job on a lot of fronts and the

GOP isn't talking about any of. I didn't expect the GOP to point this out but I never expected the Dems to just plain ignore it. I guess Obama has many detractors on all sides.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. If he was doing what he was elected to do, he would only have detractors on one side.

Pre-emptive capitulation, on whatever issue, has not won him fans and supporters on the Republican side.

Of course, you already know that. If you are criticizing disappointed liberals and progressives who enthusiastically supported Obama in 2008, you are not the first to do so. Rahm Emanuel, his former chief-of-staff and now Chicago mayor, got you beat.

So now the DOJ is "doing a stealth job"? Either that or it's election season. You decide which works for you.

In the meantime, you can take satisfaction in knowing that Obama will easily win re-election. As Rahm said, "Where else are they going to go?"