CHARESTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Justice said his most recent federal issues will work themselves out as they have time and time again.

Speaking during a virtual briefing with reporters from Capitol Hill Thursday morning, Justice – the former Republican governor of West Virginia – acknowledged the more than $8 million he and former first lady Cathy Justice owe to the IRS.

Politico reported last week that Justice – the owner of more than 100 businesses including the historic Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs – owes more than $8 million. The IRS filed two tax liens with the Greenbrier County Clerk’s Office on Oct. 2 seeking debts that go back as far as 2009 and as recent as 2022.

“The timetable is running out on the claim that they have, that back in 2009 I should have paid a few dollars more than what I paid,” Justice said. “What they just did is they said we’ll go back to 2009 and we’re going to assess you interest and penalties on that all the way through and that’s how they come to the ($8 million).”

Daughter Jill Justice manages Justice’s hospitality businesses, such as the Greenbrier. The bulk of Justice’s coal, agriculture, and real estate businesses are managed by his son, Jay Justice. But Jim Justice maintains majority control of his business empire, including multi-million-dollar lines of credit that Justice can tap into on demand.

“Our businesses are complicated and complex,” Justice said. “There’s a hundred-plus companies and Jay and Jill are doing a magnificent job running them and everything. They employ thousands and thousands of people and that’s all really good stuff. But in that, from time to time you’ve got disputes.”

Justice sold his coal mining interests in Bluestone Resources to Russian-based Mechel in 2009 for $578 million in cash and stock. Justice bought Bluestone Resources in 2015 for $5 million. Justice said his tax issues began in 2009 with audits by the IRS during the administration of former Democratic president Barack Obama.

Justice claims that the IRS owes his companies unpaid tax refund totaling more than what he owes the IRS. He claimed his tax issues are the result of politics during the Obama administration and the recent administration of Democratic president Joe Biden, though he presented no evidence to back these claims up.

“I’ve still never received my refunds and my refunds are well, well, well in excess (of $8 million),” Justice said. “The principal is $27.5 million but the refunds…with interest and everything could reach $40 million.

“What (the IRS) said is no, we’re going to deny that for this time and everything when really and truly I was notified by our attorneys that it should show up in the mail tomorrow or the next day,” Justice continued. “Then the next thing is we’re going to deny those things because lo and behold the Biden administration’s in (and) Jim’s running for the Senate. If you don’t think these are political moves, you’re crazy.”

The IRS announcements come as Justice and his businesses are facing more state and local tax issues. The West Virginia Tax Division filed liens with the Greenbrier County Clerk’s Office in August and September against Justice’s Greenbrier Hotel Corp. and the Greenbrier Sporting Club. The total tax liens come to more than $1.3 million.

Justice compared his IRS tax issues to the lawfare practiced against President Donald Trump prior to his second term, even though the current IRS leadership are Trump appointees.

“All I can say to you is just simply just this: when all this is said and done, I will promise you to God above that what will happen is we will – Jim will – end up with significantly more dollars from the IRS than what we owe the IRS,” Justice said.

“It’s just a situation we’ve got to go through,” Justice continued. “It’s more of a political move but at the same time it’s just a situation that big companies deal with all the time. You saw all the stuff that President Trump dealt with. At the end of the day, I’d say just let it be and see how it all plays out.”