Supreme Court Justice "Spike" Maynard (L) and Massey CEO Don
Blankenship (R) enjoying each others company in Monaco while
Massey had high-profile $70 million case before court
A chief political consultant for Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has signed up to aid the re-election bid of Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard, according to an Associated Press story.
The information reported by the AP was in an e-mail addressed from Greg Thomas, which has him recruiting Democrats for an Independent get-out-the-vote effort at the behest of unnamed business interests.
The content of the e-mail underscores a rallying of Maynard's supporters as fallout continues from the vacation photos showing Maynard in Monaco with Massey CEO Don Blankenship, while a major case was before the high court.
Monday night ABC News broadcast a report focusing on Blankenship's relationship with Maynard and the high court.
The report itself made headlines after Blankenship's run-in with an ABC reporter outside one of Massey's Kentucky offices last week.
ABC News alleges Blankenship told the reporter, "If you're going to start taking pictures of me, you're liable to get shot."
ABC says Blankenship grabbed the camera, breaking off its microphone and tearing the reporter's shirt collar.
Blankenship's lawyers say the reporter was the aggressor, trespassing on private property.
ABC said "The CEO of America's fourth-largest coal company is under fire after questions emerged about his relationship with West Virginia Supreme Court justices hearing appeals by his company."
"CEO Don Blankenship has been criticized for spearheading an advertising campaign that helped elect one justice to the Supreme Court, as well as vacationing with the Chief Justice while the $70 million appeal by Massey was before the court," a news release said.
Last week, the court ruled in Massey's favor on the appeal, with Justice Brent Benjamin tipping the decision in Massey's favor again.
Blankenship bank-rolled Benjamin's election with about $3.5 million.
The Associated Press earlier identified eight published opinions by the Supreme Court in which "Spike" Maynard sided with Massey, dissenting from the majority's ruling in half of them.
Maynard claims they have false information.
A challenger for a Supreme Court seat, WV law professor Bob Bastress says the behavior of some of the justices are bringing disgrace to the State of West Virginia.
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