News + Press
News + Press
News + Press
WV Democratic Party Calls for Senate Ethics Investigation into Justice Over Greenbrier Allegations
For Immediate Release May 4, 2026
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Democratic Party is calling on the United States Senate Ethics Committee to immediately open an investigation into serious allegations involving U.S. Senator Jim Justice and his handling of the Greenbrier resort.
Recent reporting has raised troubling claims that revenues generated by the Greenbrier were diverted to support unrelated, failing business ventures and to finance luxury purchases, including private jets and helicopters—all while other Justice and Justice-owned businesses fell behind on obligations such as state sales taxes, federal income taxes, and employee health insurance payments.
“These issues paint a deeply disturbing picture of misplaced priorities and a pattern of behavior that raises serious ethical and legal questions,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. “West Virginians deserve to know whether one of our United States Senators has been using the Greenbrier Resort as a personal piggy bank while workers and taxpayers are left holding the bag.”
Pushkin also pointed to claims made in court filings by attorneys representing WSSH, the entity seeking control of the Greenbrier, alleging that Justice and his legal team warned they could not receive a fair trial in West Virginia due to Justice’s influence over the state’s judiciary.
“That allegation alone should send shockwaves through every corner of our state,” Pushkin continued. “If a sitting U.S. Senator is suggesting that our courts are compromised because of his influence, that is not just unethical, it is a direct threat to the integrity of our judicial system and the rule of law.”
Pushkin called on Justice to immediately clarify those claims.
“If Jim Justice is going to make or allow claims that he ‘controls’ judges in West Virginia, then he owes the public full transparency,” Pushkin said. “He should immediately name the specific judges he believes he influences, and those names should be submitted to the West Virginia Supreme Court for review. Judges in this state are bound by the Code of Judicial Conduct to remain impartial. Any suggestion otherwise demands immediate scrutiny.”
Teresa Toriseva, Democratic Party Vice Chair, emphasized the broader impact on working West Virginians.
“While these allegations describe millions being shifted between businesses and spent on luxury assets, we have seen workers at Justice-owned companies struggle with unpaid benefits and uncertainty,” Toriseva said. “If these claims are true, it represents a fundamental betrayal of the people who built those businesses and the communities that depend on them.”
The West Virginia Democratic Party stressed that the seriousness of these allegations demands a swift and thorough review.
“The Senate Ethics Committee must act immediately,” Pushkin said. “And if these allegations are substantiated, Jim Justice should resign without delay. No one—no matter how wealthy or powerful—is above the law.”