A key witness for federal prosecutors denied this afternoon that he conspired with former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship to willfully violate mine safety standards.

“No, sir,” former Performance Coal Co. President Chris Blanchard said when cross-examined on the matter by Blankenship defense lawyer Bill Taylor.

Taylor began his cross-examination of Blanchard in mid-afternoon after Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Ruby finished more than six hours of questioning of Blanchard.

On Thursday, Blanchard had testified that there was “an understanding” at Massey that a certain number of violations would always be written even if they could have been prevented by the company.

This afternoon, Blanchard told jurors that prosecutors had threatened for several years to charge him along with Blankenship following the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster.

Blanchard said he did not want to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors but did receive immunity for testifying.

“I didn’t break any laws, sir,” Blanchard told Taylor.