GOP claims DOJ is ‘totally rogue’ for suing 2024 Senate hopeful.

Republicans are up in arms over the Department of Justice’s planned lawsuit against West Virginia Governor Jim Justice II’s coal companies. Justice is currently running for Senate against incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin, and the timing of the lawsuit has raised suspicions.

“Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and the Democrats have seen the polls that show Jim Justice winning this race, and they’re panicking. So now the Biden Justice Department has decided to play politics.”

The DOJ announced the lawsuit in a May 31 press release, citing unpaid court fines and reclamation fees. The charges relate to civil lawsuits ruled against Justice and other fees that he allegedly hasn’t paid. However, some find the timing of the charges suspicious, as they relate to years-old civil suits going back before the Biden administration.

Manchin’s Vulnerable Seat

Manchin’s Senate seat is considered one of the most vulnerable in the upcoming election cycle, with as many as ten Democrats on the defensive. Justice’s campaign immediately condemned the move, describing it as a purely political one.

Justice, a second-term governor who won his most recent election with 63 percent of the vote, recently announced his intention to run for Manchin’s Senate seat. Manchin, the only Democrat in the Senate who describes himself as a “conservative Democrat,” is still well to the left of deep-red West Virginia.

Competing Views

Justice’s top competitor for the GOP nomination, Rep. Alex Mooney, framed the issue differently. “Jim Justice’s long history of ripping off hardworking West Virginians, not paying his bills, and actions leading to the garnishment of his wages predate the Biden Administration,” Mooney said.

• Republicans are criticizing the DOJ’s lawsuit against West Virginia Governor Jim Justice II’s coal companies.
• The timing of the charges, which relate to years-old civil suits, has raised suspicions.
• Justice is running for Senate against incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin, whose seat is considered one of the most vulnerable in the upcoming election cycle.
• Justice’s campaign has condemned the move as purely political, while his top competitor for the GOP nomination, Rep. Alex Mooney, has criticized Justice’s history of not paying his bills.