Don Blankenship on Environment WV Senate contender and Constitution Party presidential nominee

Repeal wetlands protection & Endangered Species Act

Mine Safety agency forced bad ventilation that exploded

In addition to his defamation lawsuit, Blankenship is suing to get his misdemeanor conviction overturned. Mrs. Davis's settlement lends credence to his position. The key factual piece of evidence in that effort is whether the flammable gas that exploded was coal bed methane or natural gas. Natural gas is mostly methane but also includes other gases such as ethane. The evidence suggests that the feds are coming around to agree with Blankenship.

AdWatch: Year in prison for contaminating drinking water

Last week, the newly-formed super PAC began airing TV ads targeting Blankenship, who spent one year behind bars following a deadly 2010 explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine. The national party isn't promoting its role in the group but its fingerprints are all over it.

The 30-second commercials, which the group is spending nearly $700,000 to air, accuse Blankenship's company of contaminating drinking water by pumping "toxic coal slurry," even as the multimillionaire installed a piping system that pumped clean water to his mansion. "Isn't there enough toxic sludge in Washington?" the narrator intones.

Blankenship last month issued a statement saying he was well aware of the possibility that party leadership could target him.

EPA is biggest polluter,moving jobs to unregulated countries

AdWatch: role of MSHA in mine disaster was covered up

An extensive review of multiple government reports, plus a search through a database of thousands of news articles produced no supporting facts.

Environmental movement not great cause but great business

To Blankenship, the EPA's coal power plant regulations and the mine safety crowd all represent the same ideology. "The actual UBB explosion was partially the result of the war on coal," he says.