Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia and his wife Cathy Justice have now reportedly agreed to pay more than $5 million in long-overdue federal income taxes dating back to 2009, according to newly filed IRS records.
The agreement came just hours after the Department of Justice’s Tax Division filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking $5,164,739.75 from the couple, court documents show. The amount includes unpaid federal income taxes, penalties, interest, and statutory additions that have accumulated over the past 15 years.
A joint motion filed by both parties states the Justices must pay the full amount plus ongoing statutory interest, though it does not specify a repayment timeline. A judge must still approve the agreement.
Despite the lawsuit coming from President Trump’s own Justice Department, Sen. Justice remains one of Trump’s strongest political allies. The president carried West Virginia by more than 40 points in the 2024 election, and Justice has consistently aligned himself with Trump’s America First agenda.
Justice’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Sen. Justice, 74, made his fortune in coal and hospitality after inheriting his family’s mining business and later purchasing a historic mountain resort. Initially elected governor of West Virginia as a Democrat in 2016, he switched parties in 2017 and went on to become one of the most popular Republican governors in the country. In 2024, he won a landslide Senate victory, succeeding former Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin.
But Justice has long faced financial scrutiny. According to The Washington Post, his family business empire has been plagued by unpaid taxes, lawsuits, fines, and mounting debts since at least 2016. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated Justice’s liabilities may exceed his assets — a dramatic reversal for someone once considered one of the wealthiest figures in the state.
In August and September, the West Virginia State Tax Division filed over $1.3 million in tax claims against several of Justice’s companies, including his resort and sporting facilities. In October, the IRS filed notices of federal tax liens against the senator and his wife, stating they owed more than $8 million, according to Politico.
Justice brushed off the allegations at the time, calling the IRS actions “more of a political move” and saying disputes of this size are something “big companies deal with all the time.”
“At the end of the day,” Justice said during an October briefing, “I’d say just let it be and see how it all plays out.”
Now, less than two months later, the IRS has forced the matter — and the Justices have agreed to pay.
Even as Justice remains a loyal Trump ally and a popular figure in deep-red West Virginia, his long-running financial entanglements may continue to cast a shadow over his early Senate tenure.
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