Billionaire businessman Jim Justice, the Democratic nominee for West Virginia governor, has contributed thousands to other Democratic campaigns in the state.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Jim Justice has spent nearly $2.9 million bankrolling his own campaign for West Virginia governor, and the businessman-turned-politician also is spending big when it comes to supporting other Democratic candidates.
State campaign finance reports show that Justice — the owner of mining operations, agricultural businesses and the historic Greenbrier resort — has donated at least $77,400 to Democratic causes in West Virginia during the general election period.
Justice, who often is referred to as the richest man in the state, has given the maximum $1,000 to 49 Democratic county executive committees and the state Democratic Party. He also has paid out $1,000 to at least 11 of the 17 Democratic candidates for the state Senate and $300 a piece to at least 54 Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates.
Those numbers might be higher, though. Not all candidates had submitted their campaign finances by the reporting deadline in September.
The tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions likely makes the would-be governor one of the biggest individual donors to this year’s legislative races. Justice’s campaign says the spending is meant to support Democratic lawmakers that he can work with if he wins the race in November.
“Jim is helping W.Va. candidates who are committed to transforming West Virginia and will fight for working families,” Grant Herring, the Justice campaign’s spokesman, said last week.
But the political contributions have come at a time when Justice is under increasing pressure for not covering all of the financial obligations that he owes for his more than 100 businesses.
An investigation by NPR last week found that Justice owes around $15 million for various taxes in six states and fines for federal mine safety violations. The report also showed that Justice had reneged on multi-million-dollar philanthropic promises to the Cleveland Clinic and the Boy Scouts of America.
Justice’s companies also were late paying about $3.9 million in property taxes in West Virginia earlier this year. Several of his operations — including The Greenbrier resort and a surface mine in Logan County — also had federal liens placed against them for not paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal withholding taxes on time.
The West Virginia Republican Party has criticized Justice, who was recruited by state Democratic leaders to run for governor last year, for spending money on political campaigns while owing millions in back taxes. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Cole is expected to attack Justice on the issue during the two candidates’ second debate, Tuesday night.
“It just shows what a partisan Democrat Jim Justice is,” said state Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas. He added that the down-ticket spending shows that Justice is prioritizing political spending over paying his fines and taxes.
In an interview before news of Justice’s $15 million in delinquent taxes and fines broke, state Democratic Party Chairwoman Belinda Biafore said the donations highlighted Justice’s generosity.
“I know that Jim Justice is one of the most kind and generous people that I know,” she said.
The Democratic Party leader said Justice’s down-ticket contributions show his devotion to the party and to electing lawmakers who will “end the war against working families” — a slogan Democrats have used to criticize Republicans for passing union-opposed bills, like the state’s legally contested “right to work” law.
“I think he wants to fund candidates that he can work with and will do what’s right for West Virginia,” Biafore added.
Justice isn’t the only statewide political figure distributing money to candidates who are running for the Legislature.
On the Republican side, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is using her fundraising capability and federal political action committees to boost candidates for the Legislature.
Many of those contributions are being disbursed through Capito’s Wild and Wonderful PAC. According to federal campaign finance reports, that political action committee has received tens of thousands of dollars from businesses and groups, like FirstEnergy, Dominion Resources, Alpha Natural Resources and the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Officials with Capito said the senator has distributed approximately $30,000 during the general election cycle. They said most of the donations have gone directly to the candidates, instead of to Republican executive committees.
The state finance reports show that Capito has given the maximum $1,000 to at least 12 Republican candidates for the West Virginia Senate and $500 a piece to various House candidates.
Capito also gave $2,500 apiece — through PAC spending and individual contributions — to Moore Capito, her son, and Riley Moore, her nephew, who are running for delegate seats in the 35th and 67th districts.
“Senator Capito has a long track record of giving to fellow Republicans who are running for state office, and this year’s election is no different,” Capito officials said. “As the state’s leading Republican voice, Senator Capito is glad to support those who are fighting for conservative solutions that will lead to a brighter future for West Virginia.”
Conspicuously absent from the state legislative campaign finance reports is any type of money from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., or his political action committee, Country Roads PAC.
Biafore said Manchin has historically been a big contributor to down-ticket Democratic candidates in West Virginia.
“In the past, Sen. Manchin has always been very instrumental,” she said.
Manchin’s PAC had collected $554,000 in contributions between the beginning of 2015 and August of this year, according to the federal campaign finance reports.
However, more than $220,000 of that money had been spent — much of it put toward catering costs at The Greenbrier and spending on fundraising consultations.
Manchin will be up for re-election in 2018, Capito in 2020.