Judge says West Virginia governor’s coal firm owes $1.5M

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that one of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s businesses owes more than $1.5 million to a Swiss company for undelivered coal. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the judge on Tuesday granted a request from VISA Commodities to enforce an April order from a London-based arbitrator. It found Bluestone Coal Sales Corp. liable for $1.5 million plus arbitration costs and interest. That arbitration came after Bluestone failed to honor an April 2021 settlement in which it had agreed to pay the $1.5 million by July 30, 2021.