IRS sues GOP Senator over a $5 million unpaid tax bill: report
The Internal Revenue Service filed a lawsuit against West Virginia Senator and former Governor Jim Justice, a Republican, on Monday over a $5 million tax bill that Justice has not paid, according to a new report.
Local news station WKBN in West Virginia reported that the Justices had been contacted "multiple times" by the Treasury Department regarding more than $5.1 million in taxes that the family has owed since 2009.
The lawsuit claims the Justices have “neglected or refused to make full payment" on the debt, according to the report.
It adds that Justice and his wife must pay any debts that the court "deems just and proper.”
Justice replaced former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the Senate in 2025. Before that, he served as West Virginia's governor from 2017 until 2025.
The lawsuit was filed about a month after the IRS filed a lien against Justice and his wife for around $8 million. A federal court also forced Justice to sell six of his companies to satisfy part of his outstanding debt.