Published: May 14, 2008 07:27 pm         

The Blankenship factor part II

Maynard feels the fallout from his friendship with Massey CEO

West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott “Spike” Maynard was soundly defeated in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. In fact, the likable Maynard won only in his native county of Mingo while placing a distant third behind former Justice Margaret Workman and Cabell County lawyer Menis Ketchum.

From the top to nearly the bottom in one fell swoop, thanks in a large way to his longtime friendship with Massey Energy chief executive officer Don Blankenship.

Maynard’s fall from glory came back in January when photographs were released to the media showing the two chumming it up on the French Riviera back in 2006. That was packaged with a handful of decisions Maynard made while sitting as a state justice, all in Massey’s favor, and instant conflict of interest pops up — as it should.

Despite his denials of showing any favoritism toward Massey, Maynard got painted with the Blankenship brush.

Back in 2004 the brush was moving one direction as Blankenship led a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to sweep then-Justice Warren McGraw right out of office. The next election, Blankenship geared up again and helped defeat a levy newly elected Gov. Joe Manchin was trying to get passed.

Feeling the momentum, Blankenship embarked on another crusade, this time in 2006, with the intention of changing the face of the Legislature in Charleston. But West Virginia voters had had enough of the Massey boss and his meddling in politics and the brush turned the other way as voters resoundingly defeated Blankenship’s slate of mostly Republican candidates, many who were grumbling afterward that they would have had a better chance of winning without his so-called help.

And it happened again two days ago. Not only was the public still of the belief that Maynard was biased, they got another whiff of the Blankenship political machine and rejected the smell yet again.

Too bad for Spike, he was a qualified judge with many good qualities. But once his character came into question, and the link to Blankenship was put on center stage, it was just too much for him to overcome.

Maybe it’s time for Mingo 1 and Mingo 2 to take another long trip to Monaco.