A Gazette editorial from the Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — We are accustomed to saying, “Thank goodness for the feds,” who are too frequently the only ones in West Virginia with the skills, budget or gumption to pursue justice. So what is going on with federal prosecutors in the case of the former Freedom Industries executives?
The U.S. Attorney’s office under former leader Booth Goodwin took the unusual and welcome step of prosecuting Freedom Industries leaders after their criminal behavior poisoned the water of 300,000 people. The January 2014 chemical spew into the Elk River sent people to emergency rooms, closed schools and businesses and kept people understandably wary of their water for months.
Now it’s sentencing time, and federal prosecutors are backing off, advocating light sentences to the judge. What’s going on?
Is this because Goodwin is gone, having resigned to run for governor? Was he the only one pursuing justice, and everyone else is just a case processor? Is it because Goodwin presided over a plea agreement that let all the violators plead to misdemeanor charges with lighter penalties than felony charges would have brought …
