Gov. Jim Justice faces legal battle over Greenbrier hotel

Governor Jim Justice is embroiled in a furious legal battle to retain a historic West Virginia hotel at his luxury resort before it is auctioned off next week due to unpaid debts, all while campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat. The fate of The Greenbrier hotel, renowned for its opulence and history, hangs in the balance as it faces potential auction due to the Justice family's failure to pay outstanding debts. 

The Impact on Employees

Around 400 employees at The Greenbrier hotel received a letter Monday from an attorney representing health care provider Amalgamated National Health Fund. The letter stated that they would lose their health insurance coverage on August 27 unless Governor Jim Justice's family pays $2.4 million in missing contributions, as reported by Peter Bostic of the Workers United Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board. This impending loss of health insurance coverage coincides with the auction date, raising grave concerns about the potential economic ramifications and job security for the employees. 

Union officials expressed concern over the Justice family's failure to fulfill its contractual obligations towards employees' health fund. They revealed that some contributions were deducted from employees' paychecks but were never transferred to the health fund, raising alarm about the moral and legal implications of this failure. Workers United Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board representative Peter Bostic expressed his disappointment, stating, "The Greenbrier’s delinquency has put our members' Health Care benefits in severe jeopardy and is morally and legally wrong.” 

Political Ramifications and Legal Arguments

The political landscape surrounding Governor Jim Justice's actions has exacerbated the situation. Democrat Glenn Elliott, Justice's opponent in the U.S. Senate race and former mayor of Wheeling, criticized Justice's conduct on the social media platform X, arguing that the governor's "sense of entitlement to things that aren't his is limitless and indefensible." Elliott's comments underscore the political fallout resulting from the Justice family's failure to fulfill its financial obligations.