Liens Show Justice-Owned Companies Owe State $4.4M

Tax liens show Gov. Jim Justice's coal companies still owe cash-strapped West Virginia $4.4 million in unpaid state taxes due at least a year ago.

The liens, filed in Raleigh County where parent company Southern Coal Corp. has been based, show Kentucky Fuel owing $2.7 million through 2014 and Justice Energy owing $1.7 million.

Other liens include $739,000 by the IRS against Kentucky Fuel and private judgments against Kentucky Fuel, Virginia Fuel and Southern Coal totaling $2.9 million.

Justice isn't involved now in the operation of his family's businesses, which are going into a blind trust, and the tax obligations are a matter for company comment, said his spokesman, Grant Herring. Justice recently filed an ethics disclosure that lets the public know about his business interests and investments, he said.

Read more: http://wvpublic.org/post/liens-show-justice-owned-companies-owe-state-44m