A former coal executive is suing a slew of media outlets and an arm of the Republican Party for defamation, claiming they falsely labeled him a felon to sabotage his campaign last year for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia.
The plaintiff, former candidate Don Blankenship, finished third in the May 8, 2018, GOP primary with 20 percent. The winner, Patrick Morrisey, won 34.9 percent, followed by Evan Jenkins at 29.2 percent. Morrisey went on to lose to the Democrat incumbent, Sen. Joe Manchin, 49.6 to 46.3 percent, in the Nov. 6 general election.
