Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) will pay over $5 million in back taxes after the Department of Justice sued him on Monday.
Justice owed $5.16 million from unsettled debts dating back to filings from 2009, according to reports. The federal lawsuit was filed on Monday in the Southern District of West Virginia, alleging that Justice and his wife, Cathy, had reportedly been previously contacted since 2009 by the Treasury Department about their debt but “have neglected or refused to make full payment of those assessments to the United States.”
“Despite notice and demand for payment of the assessments … Defendants James C. Justice, II, and Cathy L. Justice have neglected or refused to make full payment of those assessments to the United States,” read the lawsuit.
“As of August 4, 2025 … Defendants James C. Justice, II, and Cathy L. Justice are indebted to the United States in the amount of $5,164,739.75 for federal income taxes, penalties, and interest, plus statutory additions accruing after that date as provided by law for the 2009 tax year,” noted the official court documents.
JIM JUSTICE HIT WITH IRS TAX LIEN
Justice served as the governor of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025 and succeeded former Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). He was the heir to the Bluestone coal mining business, owned by his father, and was once a billionaire, according to reports. He is also the owner of the luxury resort, the Greenbrier, and reportedly has a current net worth of over $664 million. He has encountered financial difficulties in recent years, according to reports, including almost losing the Greenbrier to pay off debts. It was also reported that Justice owed near $1 billion in debts and for that was considered “broke.”
Justice agreed to pay the full amount shortly after the lawsuit was filed, reported NBC News.