Governor Claims Greenbrier Foreclosure Is Political

Delegate Mike Pushkin, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, accused Governor Jim Justice of deflecting responsibility for his financial troubles onto others. The historic Greenbrier Resort, owned by Justice, is set to be auctioned on August 27 after Beltway Capital Management and McCormick 101 LLC acquired the defaulted loan from JPMorgan Chase Bank. Justice failed to meet the loan's maturity date, leading to the transfer of the loan to the new owners. Justice contends that he had a prior agreement with JPMorgan, which he claims was satisfactory for all parties involved. However, McCormick 101 has initiated legal action against him in New York, complicating his financial situation. In 2021, Justice had renegotiated terms with JPMorgan, securing a second lien on the resort to alleviate some of the financial burden, which has since grown to over $291 million. As Justice approaches the end of his second term as governor, he is also the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, vying for the seat of retiring Senator Joe Manchin. He will face former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott in the upcoming election. Justice suggested that his business issues would not have garnered public attention if not for his political ambitions, implying that the scrutiny is politically motivated. In addition to the Greenbrier situation, Justice's business dealings are under fire from Kentucky-based companies seeking to recover over $34.8 million owed to them. Legal troubles continue to mount, with key figures in Justice's businesses facing contempt of court charges for failing to provide necessary documents.