Oak Hill, WV (WOAY) – A federal judge in Delaware has ordered Governor Jim Justice to disclose his financial information to attorneys for a Pennsylvania coal exporter owed $1.9 million by Justice and one of his coal companies.
Justice has reportedly refused to respond to information requests from Xcoal Energy & Resources, which is attempting to collect the remaining balance of a $10 million judgment won in a lawsuit against Justice and two of his companies.
In 2018, Xcoal sued Justice, Bluestone Energy Sales Corp., and Southern Coal Corp., alleging they failed to fulfill an agreement to deliver coal to ship overseas.
Xcoal and Bluestone entered a partnership in 2017, agreeing that Bluestone would supply Xcoal with 720,000 net tons of metallurgical-grade coal from a Bishop, West Virginia mine.
In 2021, Judge Leonard Stark ruled that Xcoal was entitled to over $6.8 million in damages from Justice and Southern Coal.
The courts later adjusted that amount to more than $10 million to account for interest and legal fees.
Xcoal later collected $8.1 million from a surety bond while the defendants submitted an appeal to the court ruling.
However, the company reports they have not received the remaining balance from the settlement.
The judge ordered Justice to answer Xcoal’s questions by July 5.
Attorneys for Justice argue that Xcoal is seeking sensitive information that opponents could leverage against him as he covets the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to replace Senator Joe Manchin.
