CHARLESTON, WV – Earlier today, lawyers representing Gov. Jim Justice filed a brief with the West Virginia State Supreme Court regarding the residency matter.
The filing can be viewed on the Governor’s website
One of the lawyers who filed the brief was the former acting Attorney General of the United States, George Terwilliger.
“This matter should be squarely focused on a fair analysis of the law, not politics. The governor, not the court, has the discretion to carry out his official duties in a manner that best serves the people of West Virginia,” Terwilliger said. “While the governor is often on the road promoting the state and visiting West Virginians where they live and work, he is in Charleston with great frequency to conduct official business and meet with legislators. In addition, his staff and cabinet officials work there on a daily basis.”
While the Supreme Court reviews the filing, Gov. Justice remains focused on the important work he was elected to do.
“When the people of West Virginia elected me to be their governor, it wasn’t because I was a lifelong politician. I’ve always been a business person,” Gov. Justice said. “I promised to get out and promote our great state with everything I had. That’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve driven my own personal Chevy nearly 200,000 miles, meeting with local leaders and regular people from every corner of our state because that’s what a governor should do instead of just sitting behind a desk every single day and hosting lavish parties at night.
“When I walked in the door, we were dead flat bankrupt,” Gov. Justice continued. “But within two years, we set the all-time record for the greatest single-year of revenue growth in state history. Our employment numbers have reached their highest levels in over a decade. Major businesses are moving and expanding in West Virginia and people are following suit because we have invested in tourism and changed our image to the outside world. Traveler spending in West Virginia has increased dramatically, reversing years of decline and significantly outpacing national growth. We’ve been able to give our teachers, correctional officers, and state employees much-deserved record pay raises, all while giving tax exemptions for our veterans and senior citizens.
“Through my Roads to Prosperity Program we will invest over $1 billion in hundreds of major road infrastructure improvement projects that are going to attract even more people and businesses and we are fixing tens of thousands of miles of our secondary roads, ending years of neglect.
“There’s no question, we still have work to do. But I’m confident that we’re finally turning a corner and our best days are ahead.”
