US Senator Jim Justice consents to settle past-due taxes of more than $5 million
US Senator Jim Justice consents to settle past-due taxes of more than $5 million.
Just hours after being sued by US tax officials, Republican Senator Jim Justice, a former governor of West Virginia, has agreed to pay nearly $5 million (£3.9 million) in long-overdue taxes.
The lawsuit alleging that the first-term senator and his spouse "neglected or refused to make full payment" on taxes from 2009 led to the settlement.
After decades of managing his family's coal enterprise, which held dozens of mines across multiple states, Justice entered politics. He oversaw the state from 2017 until he was elected as a senator in 2025.
Justice referred to the 2015 tax assessment against him as "politically motivated" during a media briefing in October.
"It's just a situation that big companies deal with all the time," he stated. "You saw all the stuff that President Trump dealt with."
"At the end of the day," he said, "I'd say just let it be and see how it all plays out."
Following the settlement, the BBC reached out to the senator's attorney and office for comment.
The Internal Revenue Service said in the Monday complaint that the Justices owed $5.16 million in unpaid taxes and interest. The Justices will reimburse the entire sum plus additional interest as per the arrangement.
A payback schedule was not specified in the application.
According to Forbes, Justice, who owns numerous companies, including coal and agricultural enterprises, has a net worth of up to $1.9 billion as of 2021. However, Forbes calculated that had decreased to "less than zero" by 2025.
The senator and his family are dealing with a number of other financial challenges.
According to CBS News, the BBC's US partner, they are facing $1.4 million in liens—the ability to retain possession of another person's property until a debt is settled—related to unpaid sales taxes associated with their historic resort, The Greenbrier, and its sports club.
According to the network, the IRS has reportedly filed more than $8 million in liens against the couple for unpaid personal taxes.
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