DOJ takes legal action against West Virginia governor's family-owned coal companies over unpaid fines.

The DOJ has filed a civil complaint against Jim Justice III, son of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, and 13 coal companies he owns, alleging unpaid fines for earlier mining violations. The complaint claims the firms committed over 130 violations of federal mining law between 2018 and 2022 and ignored more than 50 warnings from the government to halt operations until they had been resolved. The alleged violations accrued $7.6 million in unpaid fees and interest. The governor, who is running for Senate, has suggested the action could be politically motivated.