A federal appeals court affirmed former coal executive Don Blankenship’s conviction this week after he alleged prosecutors violated his due process rights with suppressed evidence. Blankenship was found guilty in 2015 of misdemeanor conspiracy to violate mine safety regulations. A three-judge panel recognized the merit of the appeal, but said in the ruling that the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s failure to disclose certain documents with Blankenship’s legal team prior to the trial did not have any effect on the outcome of the verdict.