Attorney Eric Early: Don Blankenship Hammers Establishment Media And DC Elites In Sweeping $12 Billion Legal Action

WILLIAMSON, W.Va., March 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 14, 2019, coal baron and recent Republican U.S. Senate Candidate from West Virginia Don Blankenship filed a lawsuit against major news outlets across the political spectrum, some of their personalities and officials from the National Republican Senate Committee alleging defamation and interfering in a federal election. It is believed to be one of the largest and most sweeping defamation cases ever to be filed. 

For further information:

Legal Filing
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/07aaa1_e42d1b30332649d89d24702877a7275a.pdf

Don Blankenship Background
https://www.dropbox.com/s/042iqy5a71wv35o/2019-03-14%20_Don%20Blankenship%20Short%20Bio%20-.mp4?dl=0

Mr. Blankenship's attorney Eric Early of Early, Sullivan, Wright, Gizer, & McRae LLP has offered up quotes below.

"This is a groundbreaking defamation case punctuated by collusion to interfere in a federal election by major media outlets and high-ranking United States Senators. There has never been a case like this that clearly exposes the D.C. swamp elite."

"This is further proof that the mainstream media has officially crossed over from being 'fake news' to 'totally incompetent news.'"

"Here you have a guy, 'Judge' Napolitano that Fox News represents as their 'legal expert,' supposedly an attorney and retired judge and yet at the time of his statements, remarkably turned a misdemeanor into someone being jailed for manslaughter.  Pretty sad for a 'news outlet.'"

"Granted, some things over the past several years that have been labeled as 'fake news' may be somewhat subjective – but saying that Mr. Blankenship was jailed for manslaughter and calling him a felon is TOTALLY fake news."

"On some occasions, the media has tried to hide behind the defense that their target is a public figure.  But that doesn't work when you outright maliciously lie and exhibit reckless regard for the truth."

"The defendants in this case are one of three things – 100% dishonest, totally incompetent, or all of the above."

"The McConnell swamp saw Mr. Blankenship take the lead in the polls and panicked. Many of the false statements, all repeating the same slur that Don's a felon, were deployed in the week before the primary after Mr. Blankeship took the lead. At the end of the day, these media outlets and some of the swamp politicians including Mitch McConnell and Senator Thune are alleged to have set out on a reckless campaign to defame Mr. Blankenship and to interfere in a federal election."

"This is how the out of touch political elite like Mitch McConnell and the old line establishment media keep good people from running for office.  The founding fathers set it up so that every day people who are the heart and soul of our nation, like school teachers, small business people, farmers, those retired, and even working class folks such as coal miners like Mr. Blankenship was as a teenager – could run for office, serve the public then go back to their profession after they have served the people as their representative.  The way it works now is the establishment politicians have created an elite class whose top priority is protecting themselves, raising money to stay in power, and continuing to live in their political bubble separate and apart from the rest of us.  They have little interest in serving the people.  It's a game to them and when non-professional politicians want to step up and serve, they gang up to keep the people out.  The almost singular focus of the professional politicians is to keep themselves in power, and is one of the reasons why our great country is $22 Trillion in debt, for all practical purposes broke.  The professional political class, many of whom have barely held a day job in their lives and who have instead spent their time doing anything possible to become entrenched politicians, have created the mess and have no plan to get us out of it."

"As for Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and the other defendants in this case, when they represent themselves as a news outlet or news sources, the public's reasonable expectation is that they are indeed 'credible' news outlets.  And yet they have the audacity to lie about facts that are easily 'google-ible.' These fake news outlets are going to have to decide at some point whether they are actual news or entertainment channels.  There is a BIG difference."

"Regarding the tragic Upper Big Branch Mine incident, one thing you should know right up front is that Don Blankenship was never charged with or accused of causing the death of any miners.  In the case of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, the death of 29 minors was found to be the result of the Obama administration's regulations that required the mine to change its air flow volume.  Mr. Blankenship was the CEO of a large company that operated 119 mines at the time of the incident.  Don Blankenship hadn't been at that particular mine in over 10 years. To say Don is responsible for the explosion is like saying the CEO of United Airlines was responsible for 9-11. It has since been documented that the air-flow regulations placed on the Upper Big Branch Mine by the Obama Administration lead to the explosion.  In fact, if any news outlet wants to make the accusation that Mr. Blankenship is the culpable party for the deaths, they will be welcomed onto our list of defendants." 

SOURCE Early, Sullivan, Wright, Gizer, & McRae LLP