The suit names 13 coal companies owned or operated by the Justice family, in addition to Mr. Justice’s son, James C. Justice III, for allegedly owing more than $5 million in combined penalties and fees for more than 130 environmental and health violations related to coal mining. With interest and administrative expenses, the federal government is seeking roughly $7.6 million it says is due to the Department of Interior.
The lawsuit prompted swift accusations from Republicans of political targeting by the Biden administration. Donald Trump Jr., son of former President Donald Trump, tweeted: “Did anyone really think that Biden’s weaponization of the DOJ to target his political opponents was going to stop with Trump?”Todd Kim, assistant attorney general for DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said prosecutors were going after the coal companies to protect Americans.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh said that after giving notice, the Justice family coal businesses “failed to remedy those violations and were ordered over 50 times to cease mining activities until their violations were abated.”