By Jake Zuckerman for The Charleston Gazette-Mail
BECKLEY, W.Va. — A Beckley lawyer who represents coal miners and other workers in wage, occupational health and bankruptcy disputes, filed pre-candidacy papers in June to run for West Virginia attorney general.
Sam Petsonk, who recently represented homeless people in a lawsuit against the city of Charleston, said as attorney general, he would advocate for working people in West Virginia who have seen their coal mines, manufacturing plants or other employers go bankrupt.
“Our state cannot afford to continue seeing tens of thousands of workers lose their income, and in many cases, their life savings, trying to buy back the insurance they already worked to earn,” he said. “We cannot afford for that to continue to happen, and I think it’s a shame that our attorney general has not taken leadership on that issue. I’ve dedicated my life to doing that and I absolutely believe we need an attorney general who will make that job number one.” …
