May 2, 2006
 
WV Democratic Chairman Nick Casey Slams Don Blankenship
 
By HNN Staff
 
Charleston, WV (HNN) – Democratic Chairman Nick Casey on Monday, May 1, 2006 called on Don Blankenship to “be a man of his word and keep the promise he made to West Virginia Children back in October of 2004.”
 
Casey did this after it was revealed that Massey Energy CEO Blankenship has made his first investment in the 2006 legislative primary season with a $1,000 contribution to Jerry Mays running for Senate District 16 in Martinsburg.
 
“Mr. Blankenship is now spending even more money to influence elections when his 2004 promise to spend nearly $2 million on helping kids goes unfulfilled,” said Casey. Casey was referring to criticism that Blankenship received after spending $1.7 million of his own money to buy a seat on the Supreme Court for Brent Benjamin. In response to that criticism, the Charleston Gazette reported that:
 
“After the election, Blankenship said, he will start a foundation also called And for the Sake of the Kids to "provide needed clothing and other necessities to the most needy children of West Virginia." He said that he intends to help the foundation raise an amount "similar" to $1.7 million in the coming years.” (Charleston Gazette, October 15, 2004)
 
“Since making his promise to help poor West Virginia children get clothing and other necessities, Mr. Blankenship has gone on to pour his millions into political empire building,” Casey added. “He spent unprecedented amounts of money to defeat a ballot measure he didn’t like and to advance a fiscally irresponsible budget cut that would hurt the very children he says he wants to help. He has also pledged to spend whatever it takes to help Republican candidates win elective office.”
 
Casey added: “Mr. Mays can show his disgust with Mr. Blankenship’s tactics by turning down his $1,000 and condemning his political spending until he does what he said he was going to do for poor children. Until then, every candidate who takes his money does so with the knowledge that they are putting themselves in front of the needs of the kids Mr. Blankenship professes to care so much about.”
 
According to Mays’ disclosure report, Blankenship now lists himself as a resident of Kentucky, giving his address as Belfry, Kentucky. “It appears that Mr. Blankenship changes addresses like some people change socks,” Casey added.