James C. Justice

RepublicanU.S. Senator, WV

Age	75 (b. 1951-04-27)
Gender	Male
In office since	2025-01-14 (~1 yrs)
Religion	Christian (American Baptist Churches USA)
Education	Attended the University of Tennessee on a golf scholarship, then transferred to Marshall University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Prior occupation	Businessman; owner/operator of a coal mining empire (Bluestone Resources/Bluestone Coal, Kentucky Fuel Corp., James C. Justice Companies) inherited and expanded from his father, plus agriculture operations and the Greenbrier luxury resort. He has also coached high school basketball.
Military service	No
Birthplace	Charleston, West Virginia
Marital status	Married — Cathy Justice (née Comer)
Children	2
Residence	Lewisburg, West Virginia
Notable relatives	Son James (Jay) C. Justice III runs the family coal and agriculture businesses; daughter Dr. Jill Justice is president of Greenbrier Hotel Corporation. Wife Cathy Justice was appointed to the West Virginia state education board in 2024. No family members are elected officials.

Wikipedia · OpenSecrets · Official site

Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

First elected	2016
Previous offices	36th Governor of West Virginia (2017-2025)
Committees	Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship · Senate Special Committee on Aging
Party history	Registered as Republican until 2015; switched to Democratic to run for governor and was elected as a Democrat in 2016; announced switch back to Republican on August 3, 2017, at a Trump rally in Huntington, WV. Has been a Republican since.
Ideology	Pro-coal, Trump-aligned conservative Republican; supported Medicaid expansion as governor while signing abortion restrictions, gender-affirming-care ban for minors, and gun-rights expansions.

Financial

Net worth: disclosed $290,000,000–$1,900,000,000 (2024) · estimate

The Greenbrier (luxury resort/Greenbrier Hotel Corporation), White Sulphur Springs, WV	business_owned · 2024
Bluestone Resources / Bluestone Coal Corporation (coal mining)	business_owned · 2024
Kentucky Fuel Corporation / James C. Justice Companies, Inc. (coal/agriculture)	business_owned · 2024
Greenbrier Sporting Club / agricultural and real estate land holdings in WV and neighboring states	real_estate · 2024

Top industries: Coal mining

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — EPA/Clean Water Act Consent Decree – Stoney Brook Plantation Dam Construction

financial/corruption · 2015-12-10 · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia · Consent decree entered. Justice and James C. Justice Companies paid $220,000 civil penalty and were required to remove 20 unpermitted dams and restore Turkey Creek to pre-disturbance conditions.

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.

Sources: U.S. EPA · WV Gazette-Mail

resolved — EPA/Clean Water Act Consent Decree – Southern Coal Corp. and Affiliates (23,000+ Violations) business

financial/corruption · 2016-01-01 · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of Justice; multiple states (WV, VA, TN, KY, AL) · Consent decree entered. Southern Coal Corp. and 26 affiliated companies paid $900,000 civil penalty and were required to implement comprehensive environmental management systems and corrective measures.

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.

Sources: WV Gazette-Mail · ProPublica

resolved — Algoma Steel (Essar Steel Algoma) v. Southern Coal Sales Corp. – Settlement Enforcement Judgment (~$5.75 Million) business

financial/corruption · 2017-01-01 · Canadian steelmaker Algoma Steel (formerly Essar Steel Algoma) sued Southern Coal Sales Corp. and more than a dozen other Justice-owned companies in the Southern District of New York in 2017, alleging Southern Coal failed to deliver contracted coal tonnage. On September 22, 2020, the parties entered a court-ordered settlement agreement requiring Southern Coal to pay $4.4-5.75 million. After the defendants made no payments and delivered no coal — citing the collapse of financier Greensill Capital as their reason — Algoma moved to enforce the settlement. The court recommended, and later entered, judgment in Algoma's favor for $5.75 million plus interest and attorney's fees. · Court-ordered settlement was breached by the Justice companies; a federal court subsequently entered a $5.75 million enforcement judgment against Southern Coal Sales Corp. plus interest and fees.

After Southern Coal Sales Corp., a Justice-owned coal company, failed to honor a court-ordered settlement with Canadian steelmaker Algoma Steel over undelivered coal, a federal judge entered an enforcement judgment of $5.75 million against the company.

Sources: Charleston Gazette-Mail · FindLaw

settled — Gubernatorial residency lawsuit settlement (Sponaugle)

ethics-violation · 2018 · Kanawha County (WV) Circuit Court; West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals · Justice settled the suit, agreeing to 'reside' in Charleston as required by the West Virginia Constitution and to pay the plaintiff $65,000 in court costs and attorney fees. The 2018 lawsuit was dismissed by court order March 1, 2021.

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.

Sources: Charleston Gazette-Mail · West Virginia Record

resolved — Xcoal Energy & Resources v. Bluestone Energy Sales / Southern Coal / Justice – Coal Supply Judgment (Affirmed on Appeal)

financial/corruption · 2018-01-01 · Xcoal Energy & Resources, a Pennsylvania coal marketing firm, sued Bluestone Energy Sales Corp., Southern Coal Corp. and Jim Justice personally (under a Performance Guarantee Agreement) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging breach of a coal supply agreement. On March 29, 2021, the court ruled that Bluestone Energy Sales breached the agreement, that Southern Coal and Justice were liable under the guarantee, that Justice's fraud counterclaim against Xcoal failed, and awarded Xcoal $6,814,105.30 in damages. The amount later grew to just over $10 million after interest, attorney's fees and costs were added. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment in 2022. Xcoal subsequently collected $8.1 million from a surety bond posted during the appeal, with a remaining balance reported unpaid as of 2023. · Judgment of roughly $6.8 million (growing to over $10 million with interest/fees) affirmed on appeal by the Third Circuit; approximately $8.1 million was collected via bond, with a balance remaining unpaid.

A Delaware federal court found Jim Justice personally liable, along with two of his coal companies, for breaching a coal supply agreement with Xcoal Energy & Resources, entering a judgment that grew to more than $10 million with interest and fees; the Third Circuit affirmed the judgment on appeal.

Sources: Justia (3rd Cir. opinion) · U.S. District Court, District of Delaware

resolved — MSHA Mine Safety Penalty Settlement – $5.13 Million for 2,297+ Violations business

financial/corruption · 2019-05-01 · U.S. Department of Labor (MSHA); U.S. Department of Justice; U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia · Settlement reached. Southern Coal Corp., Justice Coal of Alabama, A&G Coal Corp., and numerous affiliates agreed to pay $5,130,125 in delinquent MSHA civil penalties by March 1, 2024.

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.

Sources: NPR · WV MetroNews

resolved — New London Tobacco Market v. Kentucky Fuel Corp. – $35 Million Judgment (Later Modified) business

financial/corruption · 2019-09-01 · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove) · Judgment entered against Kentucky Fuel Corp. for approximately $17 million in unpaid coal royalties plus $17 million in punitive damages and $1 million in attorney fees. Punitive damages portion was later vacated on appeal; remaining judgment approximately $17-18 million still outstanding with garnishment proceedings ongoing.

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.

Sources: WV Gazette-Mail · WV Public Broadcasting · WV Gazette-Mail

resolved — First National Capital LLC v. Bluestone Resources – Equipment Lease Judgment (~$2.8 Million, Texas) business

financial/corruption · 2020-05-01 · District Court of Dallas County, Texas; Texas Court of Appeals · Judgment of $2,716,240.94 plus $63,002.59 attorney fees and $13,045.55 costs entered against Bluestone Resources Inc. Texas appeals court affirmed in April 2022. Triggered a chain of surety bond liability that ultimately reached Justice personally.

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.

Sources: VPM News · FindLaw

resolved — EPA Stipulated Penalties for Violating 2016 Clean Water Act Consent Decree – $2.5 Million (4th Circuit Affirmed) business

financial/corruption · 2021-01-01 · U.S. EPA; U.S. District Court (W.D. Va.); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · Fourth Circuit affirmed $2.5 million in stipulated penalties against Southern Coal Corp. and Premium Coal Co. for violating the 2016 consent decree. Appeal dismissed.

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.

Sources: WV Public Broadcasting · WV Gazette-Mail

resolved — Credit Suisse / Greensill Capital Funds v. Bluestone Resources – $690 Million Debt Settlement business

financial/corruption · 2021-03-01 · Bluestone Resources, the Justice family's coal company, had borrowed roughly $850 million from Greensill Capital starting in 2018, a loan Jim Justice personally guaranteed while serving as West Virginia governor. After Greensill collapsed into insolvency in March 2021 (a collapse that also badly damaged its backer, Credit Suisse), Credit Suisse's asset-management arm — acting on behalf of noteholders in its supply-chain finance funds — sought recovery of the roughly $690 million Bluestone owed. Following more than a year of negotiations, Credit Suisse and the Justice family announced an agreement in June 2022 under which Bluestone would make recurring cash payments funded by increased mine production, capped at up to $320 million, with Credit Suisse's funds also holding a claim on proceeds from any future sale of Bluestone's mines. · Negotiated debt settlement; Bluestone agreed to pay up to roughly $320 million over time (about $260-320 million reported in various accounts) against the original $690 million obligation, funded through increased coal production and cash flow, rather than a lump-sum payment.

Bluestone Resources, owned by the Justice family and personally guaranteed by Jim Justice, reached a roughly $320 million settlement in 2022 to resolve $690 million owed to Credit Suisse-linked Greensill Capital supply-chain finance funds after Greensill's 2021 collapse.

Sources: WV MetroNews · Family Wealth Report · Caproasia

resolved — Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. v. Justice Family Group LLC – $166,000 Workers' Comp Deductible Settlement business

financial/corruption · 2021-05-06 · Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia alleging Justice Family Group LLC failed to pay approximately $166,000 in deductibles owed under workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance policies covering June 2018 to June 2020. The parties reached a settlement approved by U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk on September 9, 2021, with the court retaining jurisdiction to enforce the undisclosed settlement terms through May 2022. · Settlement agreement approved by the court; terms undisclosed, with the court retaining enforcement jurisdiction through May 2022.

An insurer sued a Justice family company over $166,000 in unpaid workers' compensation deductibles; the case was resolved by a court-approved settlement in 2021.

Sources: Charleston Gazette-Mail · Charleston Gazette-Mail

resolved — Carter Bank & Trust v. Justice Companies – Loan Dispute Settlement (~$368 Million) business

financial/corruption · 2021-05-31 · Jim Justice's hospitality and coal companies sued Carter Bank & Trust in federal court on May 31, 2021, alleging the bank was acting in a hostile and restrictive manner over roughly $368 million in loans coming due, and seeking $421 million in damages from the bank and its directors. Carter Bank had also filed separate actions in Virginia circuit court. The parties reached a settlement in which both sides dismissed their respective lawsuits and the Justice companies' loans were restructured and brought current. · Both the Justice companies' federal lawsuit and Carter Bank's Virginia circuit court actions were dismissed as part of a settlement; the roughly $368 million in loans was restructured.

Justice's hospitality and coal companies and lender Carter Bank & Trust sued each other over approximately $368 million in loans in 2021; the dispute was resolved through a settlement dismissing both lawsuits and restructuring the debt.

Sources: Coal Age

judgment — $10.1 million arbitration judgment (Caroleng Investments/Mechel) and seizure of Bluestone helicopter business

financial/corruption · 2021-06-07 · U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (judgment); U.S. District Court / Western District of Virginia (enforcement) · Judgment confirmed for Caroleng Investments totaling about $10.1 million ($8.4 million award plus $1.7 million pre-award interest). When unpaid, a federal court ordered U.S. Marshals to seize a 2009 Bell helicopter owned by Bluestone Resources; in March 2024 a judge ordered the helicopter grounded and sold.

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.

Sources: WV MetroNews · WV MetroNews

active — IRS and West Virginia Tax Department Liens Against Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and Greenbrier Clinic business

financial/corruption · 2021-07-01 · Separate from Jim and Cathy Justice's personal federal tax settlement, the Justice-owned Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and the affiliated Greenbrier Clinic have been subject to a recurring series of federal and state tax liens over unpaid business taxes. The IRS filed a lien of roughly $1 million against Greenbrier Hotel Corp. in mid-2021; the West Virginia Tax Department filed liens of $3.5 million over unpaid property/sales taxes in March 2024 and $1.36 million in October 2025; state tax liens reportedly reached $4.4 million by June 2026; and the IRS filed new liens totaling approximately $3.6 million ($3,334,736 against Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and $289,893 against Greenbrier Clinic, covering tax periods from mid-2024 through September 2025) on July 3, 2026. The Justice ownership group has said the tax issues are 'being worked out.' · Liens remain filed against the businesses as of the most recent reporting; the Justice ownership group states the debts are being addressed, but no full resolution has been publicly confirmed.

The Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and Greenbrier Clinic, businesses owned by the Justice family, have accumulated a recurring series of federal and state tax liens since 2021 for unpaid business taxes, with the IRS filing roughly $3.6 million in new liens as recently as July 2026.

Sources: WV MetroNews · Charleston Gazette-Mail

resolved — Bluestone Coke Alabama Air Pollution Consent Decree – $925,000 Penalty business

financial/corruption · 2022-12-01 · Jefferson County Department of Health (Alabama); Alabama state court · Consent decree approved. Bluestone Coke required to pay $925,000 civil penalty (largest in Jefferson County Health Dept. history), with at least half designated for community improvement in affected North Birmingham neighborhoods.

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.

Sources: Alabama Reporter · Black Warrior Riverkeeper

active — A&G Coal Corp. – Virginia Citizen Suit Consent Decree and Contempt Proceedings (Ongoing) business

financial/corruption · 2023-01-01 · U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia; plaintiffs Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Appalachian Voices, Sierra Club · 2023 consent decree required A&G to reclaim three Wise County, VA surface mines and fund a $600,000 reclamation escrow. A&G has missed deadlines, failed to fund the escrow, and failed to pay stipulated penalties. Multiple contempt hearings held in 2025.

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.

Sources: Appalachian Voices · Appalachian Voices

resolved — UMWA Retiree Benefit Plan Judgment – Unpaid Premiums (~$154,000) business

financial/corruption · 2023-01-01 · U.S. District Court (Southern District of West Virginia) · Federal court entered judgment of approximately $154,484 against Bluestone Coal Corp., Bluestone Industries Inc., and Keystone Service Industries Inc. for unpaid UMWA retiree health benefit plan premiums accrued since July 2017.

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.

Sources: WV Gazette-Mail · Herald-Dispatch

active — Federal Insurance Co. v. Justice, Bluestone Resources et al. – $8.29 Million Indemnity Judgment

financial/corruption · 2023-06-01 · Federal Insurance Co., an Indiana-based surety bond provider (a Chubb affiliate), sued Jim Justice personally along with Bluestone Resources Inc., Bluestone Energy Sales Corp., Southern Coal Corp. and Beech Creek Coal Corp. in the Southern District of New York in June 2023, alleging they violated an indemnity agreement tied to a bond Federal Insurance had issued naming the Justice companies as principals and coal marketer Xcoal Energy & Resources as obligee. Federal Insurance said it lost more than $8 million covering the defendants' obligations. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil entered judgment for Federal Insurance, reported in mid-March 2026, finding Justice and the four companies liable for approximately $8.29 million. · Federal judgment of approximately $8.29 million entered against Justice and four Bluestone/Southern Coal affiliated companies in favor of Federal Insurance Co.

A New York federal judge entered an approximately $8.29 million judgment against Sen. Jim Justice and four of his family's coal companies for violating an indemnity agreement with surety bond provider Federal Insurance Co.

Sources: Charleston Gazette-Mail

resolved — Southern Coal Corp. Civil Contempt – Failure to Pay BrickStreet Insurance Collateral ($503K Order) business

financial/corruption · 2024-02-28 · U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Chief Judge Elizabeth Dillon) · Southern Coal held in civil contempt in February 2024 and fined $2,500/day. Settled July 11, 2024, with Southern Coal making a satisfactory payment to BrickStreet; court dismissed and contempt sanctions waived.

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.

Sources: Insurance Journal · WV Gazette-Mail

active — Western Surety Company – Judgment and Garnishment Against Justice Personally ($3.2 Million)

financial/corruption · 2024-06-01 · U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Harrisonburg Division) · Court entered judgment of approximately $3.2 million against Sen. Jim Justice personally in June 2024. Garnishment summons issued to Justice in February 2025. Status of final payment unclear.

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.

Sources: VPM News · WV Public Broadcasting

active — Lexon Insurance Co. v. Justice – Federal Judgment of ~$29–30 Million (Tennessee)

financial/corruption · 2024-12-03 · U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr.) · Summary judgment on liability entered December 3, 2024. Damages judgment of approximately $29–30 million (including ~$25M principal and ~$4M prejudgment interest) entered October 30, 2024 following August 2024 trial. Justice has appealed.

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.

Sources: WV Gazette-Mail · Insurance News Net · FindLaw

resolved — Federal Court Order to Pay $400K+ Remaining MSHA Fines or Face Contempt (2025) business

financial/corruption · 2025-03-01 · U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Senior Judge Michael Urbanski) · Court ordered Tams Management, Frontier Coal, and Bluestone Coal to pay $125,000 by February 27, 2025 and remaining balance by May 1, 2025, or face contempt with $1,000/day fines and possible receivership.

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.

Sources: VPM News · West Virginia Watch

resolved — DOJ/IRS Tax Consent Judgment – $5.16 Million in Unpaid Federal Income Taxes (Personal)

financial/corruption · 2025-11-24 · U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (Judge Frank Volk) · Consent judgment entered November 25, 2025 obligating James C. Justice II and Cathy L. Justice to pay $5,164,739.75 in unpaid federal income taxes, penalties, and interest dating to the 2009 tax year, plus statutory interest until paid.

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.

Sources: CNBC · Axios · West Virginia Watch

resolved — LM Insurance Corp. (Liberty Mutual Affiliate) – $1 Million+ Workers' Compensation Judgment business

financial/corruption · 2026-01-13 · U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia · Federal court entered judgment of approximately $1.02 million in favor of LM Insurance Corp. against Bluestone Resources Inc. and affiliated Justice companies for unpaid workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance premiums.

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.

Sources: Insurance Journal · WV Gazette-Mail