West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.
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The Division of Justice on Wednesday accused the son of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and 13 coal corporations the youthful Justice owns or operates of failing to pay hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in penalties for environmental violations.
Jay Justice, the governor’s son, and people corporations below his management have been cited for over 130 violations and owe greater than $5 million in civil penalties, amongst different unpaid charges, the DOJ alleged in a civil criticism.
“Our environmental legal guidelines serve to guard communities towards antagonistic results of business actions together with floor coal mining operations,” Assistant Lawyer Basic Todd Kim of the DOJ’s Atmosphere and Pure Sources Division stated in a press launch.
“Via this go well with, the Justice Division seeks to ship accountability for defendants’ repeated violations of the regulation and to recuperate the penalties they owe on account of these violations,” Kim stated.
The elder Justice, who’s reportedly the richest particular person in West Virginia, has been accused of meddling in his household enterprise empire as governor even after vowing to separate himself from the businesses upon taking workplace. These companies have additionally confronted accusations of not paying their payments.
The Republican governor final month launched his marketing campaign for the Senate seat held by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Justice’s marketing campaign insists that the governor doesn’t run the household corporations.
Manchin, who may face an uphill battle to reelection within the deep-red state regardless of his incumbent standing, has not stated if he plans to run for once more in 2024.
A spokesman for Justice’s Senate marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
In a press release, Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Tate Mitchell stated, “Joe Biden’s Division of Justice has gone completely rogue. Democrats weaponizing the federal authorities to assault the household of a Republican Senate candidate is a whole abuse of energy.”
That is growing information. Please examine again for updates.