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Sen. Jim Justice and Wife Agree to Pay $5.16M in Back Taxes After DOJ Action

11:55 AM, 11/25/2025
Sen. Jim Justice and Wife Agree to Pay $5.16M in Back Taxes After DOJ Action

Key points: Sen. Jim Justice and his wife agreed to pay $5,164,739.75 in back taxes dating to 2009 after a Department of Justice complaint and a joint motion. The IRS had placed more than $8 million in liens on the pair, and a judge ordered Justice to sell six companies to satisfy debts. Justice sold Bluestone Coal in 2009 for about $436 million and repurchased it six years later for roughly 99% less; his finances have since been described as severely troubled.

Sen. Jim Justice and his wife, Cathy Justice, have agreed to pay $5,164,739.75 in back taxes dating to 2009, following a Department of Justice complaint and a joint motion filed by the parties.

The IRS had previously placed liens totaling more than $8 million against the couple. A federal judge also ordered Justice last year to sell six of his companies to help satisfy outstanding debts.

In 2009, Justice sold his family business, Bluestone Coal Corporation, to a Russian firm for roughly $436 million in cash. Six years later he reacquired the company for approximately 99% less than the original sale price. Subsequent financial profiles have described Justice’s finances as deeply troubled, reporting heavy debts and a net worth assessed as less than zero.

“You also need to remember that the Russians — the Russians — bought Bluestone from our family, and then turned it into a god-awful mess you have ever seen in the world,” Justice said, referring to the period when the company was under foreign ownership.

Justice, 74, was elected to the U.S. Senate last year after serving two terms as governor of West Virginia. Earlier reporting into his business affairs found that his companies had at times failed to pay significant mine-safety penalties; records also showed he made substantial personal contributions to a prior gubernatorial campaign while some fines and taxes remained unpaid.

The agreement to pay the outstanding $5,164,739.75 reflects the amount owed as of Aug. 4, 2025, according to the joint filing. The payment and the earlier court actions mark the latest steps in a prolonged effort by federal agencies and courts to resolve long-standing tax and debt claims tied to Justice and his businesses.

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