Elizabeth Chamberlin, Other Massey Officials Refuse To Testify In West Virgina Mine Disaster Investigation

blogs.wvgazette.com:

Massey Energy continues to promote the notion that the company wants a thorough, complete and open investigation of the April 5 explosion that killed 29 miners at the company's Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County.

But we've confirmed through a public records request that Massey's top safety officer -- Vice President of Safety Elizabeth Chamberlin (above photo) -- and five other management personnel have informed the state they were invoking their 5th Amendment rights to not answer any questions about the disaster.

Read the whole story: blogs.wvgazette.com

Comments

[mudshark12]

01:21 AM on 11/01/2010

Massey is almost as negligent as BP, in fact I would say If one were making a list of scofflaw companies they would be #2.

[logicanada]

12:44 AM on 11/01/2010

Amerika, a Notion of Laws

[sloreader]

05:09 PM on 10/31/2010

The sweet face of obstruction.

[Lance Manling]

06:14 PM on 10/31/2010

If they were obstructing, they would have been fined or in jail so we know that is not true. Do you honestly think the government is your friend in this case. It is better to let the lawyers fight it out.

[sloreader]

09:31 AM on 11/01/2010

By that response I'm surprised you didn't suggest that Massey simply be allowed to conduct its own in-house investigation and let it go at that.

[farmilyman]

11:24 PM on 10/30/2010

Rich conservatives think that laws only apply to the common people.

[Hitchcockcameo]

03:37 AM on 10/30/2010

Sociopaths...all of them.

[G Note]

11:24 PM on 10/29/2010

Lock them up.

[wdw505]

01:45 AM on 10/30/2010

for what............. pleading the 5th

[CenaW]

10:26 AM on 10/30/2010

For murder.

[logicanada]

12:48 AM on 11/01/2010

for mopery with intent to creep.

[sarahinez]

07:35 PM on 10/29/2010

Divestiture may not change the behavior of a company, but it gets the blood off my hands. Where is this stock sold, under what name, as part of what mutual funds?

[pmagellan]

09:35 PM on 10/29/2010

Good thinking!

[saskatoonie]

07:24 PM on 10/29/2010

These six people have blood on their hands and none in their hearts!

[m1jones]

07:18 PM on 10/29/2010

Offer one of them immunity. Then make her/him testify against the others. Otherwise, put them all in jail.

[mamacat]

05:24 AM on 10/30/2010

Sounds good to me. (Could we get Bush and Cheney to turn on each other the same way? Lying us into war, and outing a CIA spy ring should be prosecutable offenses.)

[m1jones]

09:50 AM on 10/30/2010

Great idea, mamacat! The current T-Party is testimony to why some stronger action may have been in order for Bush/Cheney and their cohorts but I don't know that it was ever feasible. They haven't gone away - they have just gone underground below the T-Party. You can watch the T's being directed because their strings are pulled in sync - e.g. Sarah Palin rallies troops for Jim Miller (or gives it her best shot) while Sharron Angle is told to shut up and avoid the press. Christine O'Donnell doesn't get much help because she's such a loose cannon she doesn't even listen to her Puppet Masters. I think Obama and Pelosi were right to take impeachment off the table but there needed to be something to show Bush/Cheney were wrong. This country is so deeply divided it is hard to take action on anything. That saved Social Security during the Bush Administration or we would all be in deep trouble. Remember that we have a very active Supreme Court that will overturn anything it does not agree with religiously (first time in my knowledge in the history of the United States). When John F. Kennedy ran for President (and Al Smith before him), both Roman Catholic, the fear was that the Pope would tell the President of the U.S. what to do. Religious principles top U.S. law by 5 to 4 on with our current Supreme Court Justices. Kind of makes reform action very challenging.

[m1jones]

07:17 PM on 10/29/2010

Anyone who things that women may bring a softer approach to business than men needs to post this article on their refrigerator door. The smiling lady in the photo is responsible for the deaths of many mine workers - and knows it because she is taking the 5th Amendment right not to testify against herself: "we’ve confirmed through a public records request that Massey’s top safety officer — Vice President of Safety Elizabeth Chamberlin (above photo) — and five other management personnel have informed the state they were invoking their 5th Amendment rights to not answer any questions about the disaster." What a bunch of ghouls, and just in time for Halloween. How can they smile in the face of the disasters they have caused?

[Genders]

06:41 PM on 10/29/2010

Contempt of court, send out the arrest warrants. now.

[wdw505]

06:55 PM on 10/29/2010

the 5th amendment is the right of everyone.........frustrating isn't it

[Genders]

09:23 PM on 10/29/2010

yeah, true...

[IMOPINIONH8D]

07:44 AM on 10/30/2010

Are you happy that a corporation can get away with zero responsibility concerning dead employees.

[24fans]

05:25 PM on 10/29/2010

This story is going to explode (no pun intended). These folks are looking like they have blood on there hands and the Governor Joe Manchin is clearly trying to provide cover for them. I'd like to see this on Huff's front page.

[wdw505]

06:55 PM on 10/29/2010

the 5th amendment is the right of everyone.........frustrating isn't it

[24fans]

07:44 PM on 10/29/2010

Its not the pleading of the 5th thats so egregious but the hiding of critical reports by the Government that makes me believe this is going to be a big deal.