Republican Sen. Jim Justice and his wife have agreed to pay more than $5 million in back taxes dating back over 15 years, as the freshman senator continues to weather financial difficulties that marred his time in the West Virginia governor’s office.
The settlement was disclosed just hours after the Department of Justice sued to collect the taxes Monday.
Justice, a coal magnate who served eight years as West Virginia’s governor before his 2024 election to replace Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin in the Senate, has long been dogged by reports of financial troubles.
Once dubbed the only billionaire in West Virginia, Justice’s fortunes took a hit as coal lost its preeminence in the American energy scene. Things got so bad in 2023 that he reportedly faced a potential garnishment of his governor’s salary to pay down loans for coal equipment.
