Dem Senator Claims He Was Duped into Appearing in Documentary
Senator Joe Manchin claims he was duped into appearing in a mining documentary under false pretenses. The documentary was about the 2010 West Virginia mining disaster at a coal mine run by Massey Energy. It was funded, however, by former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, and Manchin is so outraged about the “propaganda” documentary he’s calling for it to be pulled everywhere.
Manchin issued a statement yesterday saying, “They lied to my face and told me this documentary was focused on mine safety.” He was unaware at the time that Blankenship was tied to the documentary, and claims they only devoted a tiny sliver of his interview to mine safety. When he found out what was going on, Manchin declares he was “even more enraged that Don Blankenship would manipulate a tragedy to promote himself and his own agenda.”
He sent out a second statement today with the text of a letter he sent to Adroit Films, the production firm behind the documentary calling them out for deceitful tactics and demanding they take it down immediately.
Your deliberate acts of omission and misrepresentation are compounded by the final product. Despite my thirty-minute interview, you only dedicated one minute and thirty-two seconds to mine safety – one of the most important issues in West Virginia – in an attempt to vindicate Mr. Blankenship.
Your fraudulent behavior in securing the interview and your misrepresentation of my interview are actionable offenses. I expect you to cease distribution of this film and remove any references to my name, image, and likeness. Please respond to this letter in writing immediately to confirm what actions you are taking in response to my request.
[h/t POLITICO]
[photo via screengrab]
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