Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) will pay over $5 million in back taxes after the Department of Justice sued him on Monday.
Justice owes $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 and alleged that Justice and his wife, Cathy, had reportedly been contacted since 2009 by the Treasury Department about their debt but “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,” said 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,” it continued.
JIM JUSTICE HIT WITH IRS TAX LIEN
Justice served as the governor of West Virginia from 2017 to 2025, succeeding former Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. He was the heir to the Bluestone Coal Corporation, which his father owned, and was once a billionaire, according to reports. Justice is also the owner of the Greenbrier, a luxury resort, 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 nearly $1 billion in debts, and for that, he was considered “broke.”
Justice agreed to pay the full amount shortly after the lawsuit was filed, according to NBC News.
