Booth Goodwin Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Justice Hears From 2016 Rival In Lawsuit Against Carter Bank

Booth Goodwin, the former federal prosecutor and a Democrat who lost to Justice in the 2016 primary for governor, represents Carter.

The attorney defending a Virginia bank that was sued by Gov. Jim Justice is a familiar foe of the governor.

Last month, Justice sued one of his biggest creditors, Carter Bank, in federal court, seeking $1 billion in damages.

Carter’s attorney this week filed a motion to dismiss the case. That attorney is Booth Goodwin, the former federal prosecutor and a Democrat who lost to Justice in the 2016 primary for governor.

In the motion, Goodwin accuses Justice of engaging in a pattern of defaulting on his loans and filing frivolous lawsuits against his creditor. Goodwin calls Justice’s claim of economic duress “laughable” and refers to the governor as “a one-time billionaire.”

Goodwin says Justice owes Carter hundreds of millions of dollars and the bank has worked “repeatedly and cooperatively” to restructure and extend the loans over the years.

Justice, his wife, Cathy, his son, Jay, and the Greenbrier Hotel are among the plaintiffs in the suit.

Justice filed a similar lawsuit against Carter Bank in 2021 but later dropped it.

Justice beat Goodwin in the 2016 primary and was elected governor as a Democrat, but switched parties the following year. He was re-elected in 2020 as a Republican and is now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Goodwin, a former U.S. Attorney, prosecuted coal executive Don Blankenship. Blankenship was the former CEO of Massey Energy. An explosion at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine in 2010 killed 29 workers.

In 2015, a jury found Blankenship guilty of conspiracy to violate federal mine safety and health laws. He was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. Blankenship has tried, unsuccessfully, to appeal his conviction.

Goodwin returned to private practice in Charleston in 2016.

Jeff Kessler Endorses Jim Justice in Governor Race

Democratic nominee for West Virginia governor Jim Justice has the endorsement of one of two opponents he defeated in his party’s primary.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Jeff Kessler endorsed Justice on Friday, while Booth Goodwin remains undecided.

Kessler, the state Senate minority leader, says Justice would be a necessary check on a Republican-led Legislature, should the GOP keep control. Republican Senate President Bill Cole faces Justice in November as his party’s gubernatorial nominee.

Kessler says he wishes Justice was more progressive.

Goodwin, the former U.S. attorney, said he’s still working through whom to support in the race. He said he wants to hear more specifics from the candidates.

Charlotte Pritt of the Mountain Party and Libertarian candidate David Moran are also on the ballot for governor.

Trump, Sanders, Justice Showing Leads in Recent Poll

A recent poll shows Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the republican primary and Bernie Sanders is edging out Hillary Clinton in the democratic race in West Virginia. Democrat Jim Justice is showing a lead in the primary and general election race for West Virginia governor.

According to a Tuesday news release from Public Policy Polling, billionaire Trump leads the state with 61 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz has 22 percent and Ohio Governor John Kasich is trailing with 14 percent.

“It’s hard to find better Trump territory than West Virginia,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling, in the release. “He’s by far and away the strongest candidate both among Republican voters and among the general electorate. It will be hard to find many places where he has an overall positive favorability rating but West Virginia is one of them.”

Sanders is favored with 45 percent over Clinton’s 37 percent. Both Sanders and Clinton have made recent campaign stops in West Virginia. Sanders’ campaign announced Tuesday he will return to the state later this week ahead of the May 10 primary.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and billionaire businessman Jim Justice is showing leads in both the primary and general election, according to a recent poll.

Businessman Jim Justice is leading with 37 percent of the primary vote over current former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodin’s 23 percent and state Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler’s 19 percent in the democratic primary.

Justice also leads unopposed republican candidate Bill Cole 41-35 for the general election, according to the poll.

“West Virginia gets tougher and tougher for Democrats when it comes to federal races,” said Debnam. “But in Jim Justice, Democrats have found a candidate who looks like he might be strong enough to at least keep the Governor’s office in their hands.”

Public Policy Polling says they surveyed 1,201 West Virginia voters, including 637 likely Democratic primary voters and 549 likely Republican primary voters between April 29 and May 1.

The polling organization says the margin of error is +/-2.8% overall, +/-3.9% for the Democrats and +/- 4.2% for the Republicans.

Eighty percent of participants, selected through a list-based sample, responded via the phone, while 20percent of respondents who did not have landlines conducted the survey over the internet through an opt-in internet panel.

Editor’s Note: For more election coverage leading up to West Virginia’s May 10 primary, visit elections.wvpublic.org.

West Virginia Billionaire Spends $2 Million for Governor Primary

In his bid for governor, West Virginia billionaire businessman Jim Justice has spent more than $2 million before the May 10 Democratic primary.

In campaign finance filings tracking through April 24, Justice spent $2.1 million since his campaign started. He put almost $2 million of his money in the race and has raised $683,700.

Ex-U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin has spent $302,100 and raised $367,600 in the race.

The third Democratic candidate, Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler, didn’t immediately report fundraising numbers. Through late March, Kessler spent $140,500 and raised $213,800.

Reports are due by the end of Friday.

The winner faces Republican Senate President Bill Cole in November.

Cole’s latest report wasn’t yet available. Through late March, he spent $467,300 and raised $1.1 million.

All four are running TV ads.

Time, Location Set for West Virginia Gubernatorial Forum

The West Virginia Democratic Party has announced the time and location for a forum involving the three Democratic candidates for West Virginia governor.

The party on Wednesday announced the event will be held at 11 a.m. on April 16 at the Charleston Civic Center.

Candidates Jim Justice, Booth Goodwin and Jeff Kessler will take part in the forum less than a month before the May 10 primary. It’s the first event that will feature the open race’s full Democratic field.

Justice is a billionaire coal and agriculture businessman and the owner of The Greenbrier resort. Goodwin resigned as U.S. attorney in Charleston in December to run for governor. Kessler is the state Senate minority leader.

State Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, is unopposed in the Republican primary for governor.

Goodwin Announces Bid for Governor

Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Booth Goodwin officially announced his candidacy for governor with the federal courthouse in Charleston as his backdrop Wednesday.

The announcement marks Goodwin’s first run for public office after spending 15 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Five of those years were spent as the office’s head.

Goodwin filed pre-candidacy papers Friday for the 2016 race to run as a Democrat. He faces two Democrat opponents in the primary, billionaire coal baron and owner of The Greenbrier Resort Jim Justice and Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler.

Senate President Bill Cole is leading the Republican ticket.

“I’m not a millionaire and I’m certainly not a billionaire,” Goodwin said in his short 6-minute announcement speech, “and I have no agenda except to protect my fellow West Virginians.”

As for his political leanings, Goodwin said he believes he lies at the center of the Democratic Party in West Virginia, focused on issues that matter to the party including the state’s budget deficit, substance abuse epidemic, and the loss of educated, young West Virginians to more attractive parts of the country.