Prosecutors done questioning key witness in ex-coal CEO case
Source: Associated Press
Prosecutors done questioning key witness in ex-coal CEO case
Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press
Updated 7:06 pm, Friday, October 30, 2015
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — After a key government witness spent days helping defense lawyers paint a former coal boss as safety-minded, prosecutors reined their witness in Friday by directing him to testify about dozens of serious mine safety violations he agreed could have been avoided by hiring more miners or permitting more time to tend to safety tasks.
In Charleston federal court Friday, prosecutors wrapped up a second round of questioning with former Massey Energy subsidiary president Christopher Blanchard. Blanchard took the stand against ex-Massey CEO Don Blankenship under an immunity agreement with the government in a larger investigation centering on the deadliest U.S. mine explosion in four decades.
Prosecutors questioned Blanchard for a little more than a day last week, before defense attorneys kept him on the stand for almost five days to interpret more than 180 documents aimed at aiding Blankenship's case.
Blanchard had told the defense that he himself didn't break any laws, and said he did not conspire with Blankenship to break safety laws. Previously, he told prosecutors he believed Blankenship had an understanding that it was less expensive to pay fines than for measures to prevent safety violations.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Prosecutors-done-questioning-key-witness-in-6601609.php
