James C. Justice

The U.S. Justice Department sued Senator Justice and his wife Cathy on November 24, 2025, to collect more than $5.1 million in unpaid federal income taxes, penalties, and interest for the 2009 tax year. The Justices agreed to pay to settle the suit the same day. The IRS had previously filed liens exceeding $8 million against the couple. is_business_entity=false: the tax liability and settlement were personal to Justice and his wife.

New London Tobacco Market and Fivemile Energy sued in 2012 after Kentucky Fuel failed to mine coal under an agreement assigning rights to mine eastern Kentucky coal in exchange for a cut of the proceeds. In an August 2023 order, a federal judge confirmed an $18 million-plus judgment, plus interest and roughly $648,366 in attorney fees, against two Justice-owned companies (Kentucky Fuel Corp. and James C. Justice Companies, Inc.). is_business_entity=true: judgment ran against Justice-owned companies.

James C. Justice II and James C. Justice Companies, Inc. constructed 20 dams in Turkey Creek and an unnamed tributary on Stoney Brook Plantation in Monroe County, WV without a Section 404 Clean Water Act permit. The EPA and WVDEP reached a consent decree in December 2015 requiring Justice personally and his companies to pay a $220,000 civil penalty and fully restore the affected natural trout stream.

Southern Coal Corporation and 26 affiliated Justice-family companies entered a federal consent decree resolving more than 23,000 Clean Water Act violations at coal-mining operations in WV, VA, TN, KY, and AL between 2009 and 2014. The companies paid a $900,000 penalty and agreed to sweeping compliance upgrades, third-party audits, and an EPA-approved environmental management system.

Former Democratic state delegate Isaac Sponaugle filed a writ of mandamus in 2018 alleging Governor Justice violated the state constitutional requirement that the governor reside at the seat of government in Charleston, as Justice was living at his Lewisburg home. In a settlement entered March 1, 2021, Justice agreed to reside in Charleston and to pay $65,000 in the plaintiff's costs and attorney fees. is_business_entity=false: the matter concerned Justice personally as governor.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued 23 coal companies owned by the Justice family in May 2019, alleging they held the largest delinquent mine safety debt in the U.S. mining industry, stemming from nearly 3,000 citations issued between May 2014 and May 2019. In April 2020 the companies (business entities owned by Justice, not Justice personally) agreed to settle by paying more than $5 million. is_business_entity=true: the defendants were Justice-owned coal companies.

Between 2014 and 2019, MSHA issued at least 2,297 citations to Justice-owned mine operators. The companies failed to pay the resulting civil penalties totaling approximately $4.78 million. The DOJ filed a civil action in May 2019. In April 2020 a 'landmark' settlement was announced requiring the coal companies to pay $5.13 million by March 1, 2024. The companies subsequently missed that deadline, leaving approximately $400,000 unpaid.

New London Tobacco Market sued Kentucky Fuel Corp. (Justice-owned) for unpaid coal royalties. In September 2019 a federal jury awarded approximately $35 million including $17 million in punitive damages for abusive litigation conduct. An appeals court later vacated the punitive award. Jay Justice and company officer Stephen Ball were separately held in civil contempt in 2024 and fined up to $1,000/day for defying post-judgment discovery orders. Garnishment proceedings continued through 2024-2025 with roughly $34.8 million claimed outstanding.

First National Capital LLC sued Bluestone Resources Inc. over breach of a mining equipment lease agreement. An arbitrator awarded $2.7 million plus fees in November 2019, confirmed by a Texas court in May 2020. Bluestone appealed; the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed in April 2022. Western Surety Company had posted a supersedeas bond of over $3 million on Bluestone's behalf, which then triggered a separate lawsuit against Jim Justice personally.

The EPA found that Southern Coal and affiliates repeatedly violated the 2016 consent decree by failing to file timely discharge monitoring reports, making unauthorized discharges, and refusing to respond to EPA information requests. A district court imposed $2.5 million in stipulated penalties. In April 2023 the Fourth Circuit affirmed, rejecting the companies' appeal.

After Justice bought back Bluestone Resources in 2015, the company owed royalty payments to Caroleng Investments (tied to Russia's Mechel). An arbitration panel found Bluestone materially breached the agreement, and a Delaware federal court confirmed a ~$10.1 million judgment on June 7, 2021. With the debt unpaid, in October 2023 a federal court ordered U.S. Marshals to seize Bluestone's 2009 Bell helicopter; the aircraft was flown out of state to avoid seizure, and in March 2024 a judge ordered it grounded and sold. is_business_entity=true: the judgment and seizure ran against Bluestone Resources, a Justice-owned company.

Bluestone Coke LLC, a Justice-family-owned facility in North Birmingham, AL, entered a state court consent decree in December 2022 resolving longstanding air pollution violations. The $925,000 penalty was the largest ever imposed by the Jefferson County Department of Health. The company subsequently failed to pay approximately $283,000 of the penalty, triggering additional $1,000/day accruing fines per the consent decree.

A citizen suit consent decree entered in January 2023 required A&G Coal Corporation (majority owned by Jim Justice, managed by Jay Justice) to reclaim three abandoned surface mines in Wise County, VA and establish a $600,000 escrow account. A&G has not met reclamation deadlines, has not funded the escrow, and has not paid stipulated penalties to the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable. Conservation groups moved for contempt in October 2024; multiple contempt hearings were held through 2025.

Trustees of a United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) retiree health benefit plan sued Justice-family-controlled Bluestone Coal Corp., Bluestone Industries Inc., and Keystone Service Industries Inc. for nearly six years of unpaid plan premiums. A federal court entered a judgment of approximately $154,484 against the companies in 2023. A writ of execution was filed in October 2024 to seize property to satisfy the judgment.

Lexon Insurance sued Justice individually in July 2023 for breach of contract after his coal companies defaulted on payment obligations tied to surety bonds Lexon issued. Justice had personally guaranteed sums of $5 million (2018) and $20 million (2019) while serving as governor. After an August 2024 damages trial, Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. ruled on October 30, 2024 that Justice owed more than $29 million. Justice appealed to the Sixth Circuit. is_business_entity=false: Justice was sued and held liable personally on his guarantees.

BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co. (workers' compensation insurer) obtained a September 2023 court order requiring Southern Coal Corp. to pay $503,985 to maintain collateral for financial obligations. Southern Coal admitted it had no income, no open bank accounts, and had not paid BrickStreet since 2017. In February 2024, Judge Dillon held Southern Coal in civil contempt and imposed $2,500/day fines. The parties settled in July 2024.

After Western Surety Co. paid the supersedeas bond (approximately $3 million) on behalf of Bluestone Resources in the First National Capital case, and the appeals court affirmed the judgment against Bluestone in 2023, Western Surety sued Jim Justice personally and two of his companies. A federal court entered a judgment of approximately $3.2 million (plus $101K interest) against Justice in June 2024. In February 2025, a garnishment summons was issued directly to Justice as a sitting U.S. Senator.

Lexon Insurance Company sued Jim Justice personally in July 2023 after his coal companies defaulted on obligations secured by surety bonds Lexon issued between 2018 and 2019 (totaling over $25 million in bonds). Justice had personally guaranteed his coal companies' payment obligations. After an August 2024 damages trial, Judge Crenshaw awarded Lexon approximately $25 million in principal plus $4 million in prejudgment interest with post-judgment interest at 3.57%. Justice is appealing the ruling.

In a February 2025 agreement filed in federal court, coal companies owned by Senator Justice's family agreed to pay more than $400,000 in delinquent federal mine safety penalties on a schedule, with a court order providing that companies Tams Management and Frontier Coal would be held in contempt and fined $1,000 per day if they failed to pay by May 1, 2025. is_business_entity=true: the obligated parties were Justice-owned coal companies.

After the Justice coal companies failed to pay the remaining approximately $400,000 under the 2020 MSHA settlement (deadline missed March 1, 2024), a federal court entered an agreement in March 2025 requiring payment in two tranches by May 2025 or the companies would be held in contempt and face $1,000/day sanctions.

The United States sued Sen. Jim Justice and his wife Cathy Justice on November 24, 2025, for $5.16 million in unpaid federal income taxes, penalties, and interest dating to the 2009 tax filing year. The IRS had filed $8 million-plus in tax liens in Greenbrier County weeks earlier. Hours after the complaint was filed, both parties jointly moved for a consent judgment; Judge Frank Volk signed it the next day, November 25, 2025.

LM Insurance Corp. (a Liberty Mutual affiliate) sued Justice-family-controlled coal companies for unpaid premiums on workers' compensation and employers' liability policies covering two policy periods from June 2020 to June 2022. LM canceled the policies in 2021 due to nonpayment; an audit found approximately $1.8 million still owed. In May 2024, the companies admitted the debt. In January 2026, a federal judge entered a $1.02 million final judgment.