Republican Senator Forced to Pay Millions After Dodging IRS

Justice served two terms as governor of West Virginia, being elected as a Democrat in 2016 before switching parties the following year. After serving two terms, he was elected as a U.S. senator from West Virginia in 2024. He made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from the sale of coal mines in 2009, which catapulted him to senator. Forbes list of billionaires, on which he remained until 2021.

But during this period, Justice accumulated debts in the form of personally guaranteed bank loans, court judgments and environmental liabilities. In 2016, The Washington Post reported that he had unpaid bills and fines to regulators and coal suppliers, and that in January of this year, Forbes review reported that his liabilities had exceeded his assets.

Last month, the IRS filed a tax lien against Justice and his wife, claiming they owed more than $8 million. Justice said at the time that the accusations were politically motivated. Now it seems he will have to admit defeat.