Family Business Of West Virginia's Billionaire Governor Get Subsidy Meant To Help Farmers
LEWISBURG, W.Va. (AP) - A family business of West Virginia's billionaire governor has maxed out a taxpayer-funded subsidy program meant to help farmers through the U.S. trade war with China.
Records reviewed by The Associated Press show Justice Farms of North Carolina took in $125,000 from the program earlier this year. The business is owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.
A spokesman for Justice's companies says tens of thousands of businesses received money under the subsidies and "it's absurd for anyone to use this important program as the basis for cynical political attacks."
The Republican governor owns a business empire of coal and agricultural companies that are perennially mired in litigation over unpaid bills. The farming company is named in a lawsuit accusing the businesses of transferring assets to avoid paying debt.
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