In October, West Virginia billionaire Jim Justiceā€™s campaign flexed his spending muscle by paying his own resort — and himself —Ā  $24,000 for hosting a fundraiser to benefit his re-election, headlined by Donald Trump Jr.

The fundraiser was held at Justice-owned Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs. Justiceā€™s resort represents just a fraction of his total net worth — reportedly estimated to be more than $1.5 billion — raising questions as to why Justice felt the need to further pad his pocketbook with his own cash.

According to state reports, the event raised aboutĀ  $220,000 for Justiceā€™s re-election campaign as West Virginia Governor.

Justice paying himself is not a new trend for the incumbent governor. According to a report by ProPublica, Justice paid his resort more than $1 million to host his inaugural ceremony in 2016. And since his election, Jim Justice has made money holding state-sponsored events at his luxury resort. In one case, Justice received $10 million in taxpayer dollars to sponsor a PGA Tour at his resort.

ā€œI want absolutely nothing. Nothing,ā€ Justice misleadingly noted during his inauguration. ā€œI donā€™t want a thing for me or my family in any way.ā€ His rhetoric, however, appears to be at odds with his actions; despite his billions, it appears Justice is actively seeking more money, including taxpayer dollars, lining his own pocketbooks.

In November, Justice is seeking re-election as Governor of West Virginia.


Contact Cole Driver at cdriver@american-ledger.org