Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia has agreed to pay nearly $5.2 million in overdue personal income taxes, the latest episode in a string of financial difficulties for the former billionaire.
Attorneys for Justice and his wife, Cathy, filed a joint motion for a consent judgment with the federal government the same day the government sued, saying the couple failed to make full payments on income taxes dating back to 2009. An attorney in the Justice Department’s tax division signed the agreement.
Forbes once estimated Justice’s net worth at $1.9 billion, later removing him from its billionaire list in 2021 after valuing his assets at roughly $513 million. Earlier this year the magazine reported his liabilities may now exceed his assets, putting his net worth below zero.
A spokesperson for Justice’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In an October briefing, Justice described his businesses as complicated, praised his children for running company operations, and said collection efforts were politically motivated, urging patience to see how matters unfold.
The former two-term governor, who owns businesses in coal, agriculture and other industries, was elected to the U.S. Senate last November to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Joe Manchin.
Other financial problems involving Justice and his family remain unresolved. The Internal Revenue Service filed liens totaling more than $8 million last month against Justice and his wife for unpaid personal taxes. In September, state tax officials placed about $1.4 million in liens against The Greenbrier resort and the Greenbrier Sporting Club for unpaid sales taxes.
A planned foreclosure auction on several hundred lots owned by the Justice family at a resort community near Beckley was paused amid a dispute between the Glade Springs Village Property Owners Association and Justice Holdings over unpaid fees; the West Virginia Supreme Court plans to review that case.
In 2021 the IRS filed liens of more than $1.1 million on The Greenbrier Hotel and about $80,000 on the resort’s medical clinic; those debts were paid later that year. Last year the Justice family negotiated other settlements to avoid foreclosure after JPMorgan Chase sold a longtime loan to a debt buyer that declared it in default.
West Virginia Democrats have blamed hotel troubles on Justice’s financial mismanagement. A union official has said the family was at least $2.4 million behind on contributions to an employees’ health insurance fund, potentially jeopardizing coverage. In 2023 dozens of Justice-owned properties in three counties were auctioned to satisfy delinquent real estate taxes, and state agencies and others have sought millions in fines tied to environmental violations and unsafe mine conditions.
Justice bought The Greenbrier resort out of bankruptcy in 2009 for $20.1 million. The Greenbrier Sporting Club, a private residential and equity club on the property, opened in 2000. The historic White Sulphur Springs resort, dating to 1778, includes a casino, spa and other amenities, employs about 2,000 people, hosted a PGA Tour event from 2010 to 2019 and has been used by NFL teams for training. The property also features a former 112,000-square-foot Cold War-era underground bunker that now operates as a tour attraction.