WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WVDN) — U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and his family have filed an amended lawsuit in Greenbrier County Circuit Court, alleging a “deceptive conspiracy” by a Texas-based hotel giant and a regional bank to seize control of the historic Greenbrier Resort.
The legal filing claims that TRT Holdings—the parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts—colluded with Carter Bank & Trust to orchestrate a hostile takeover. The Justices allege the entities violated antitrust laws and used confidential financial information to sabotage the family’s attempts to refinance or pay off nearly $300 million in debt.
The lawsuit further alleges that TRT Holdings, which owns the rival Omni Homestead Resort 40 miles away in Virginia, intended to eliminate competition by acquiring The Greenbrier and replacing its staff with employees from the Homestead. Attorneys for the Justice family, led by Steve Ruby, are seeking at least $500 million in damages.
“The defendants are executing a multi-year scheme designed to snatch The Greenbrier from the local and longstanding ownership of the Justice family by unlawful and deceptive means,” the complaint states.
TRT Holdings has moved to dismiss the claims, describing them as “hogwash.” In its own federal filing, TRT’s subsidiary, White Sulphur Springs Holdings LLC (WSSH), petitioned the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia to appoint an emergency receiver to oversee the resort.
In amended documents filed May 3, WSSH attorneys leveled harsher accusations, claiming the Justice family has “looted” the resort’s revenue. The filing alleges that since 2018, nearly all operating cash flow—totaling hundreds of millions of dollars—has been diverted to other Justice-owned businesses and personal luxuries, including private jets and helicopters.
Attorneys for WSSH argue that the Justice family has defaulted on more than $141 million in debt and allowed the 250-year-old landmark to fall into “physical and financial ruin,” citing reports of unkempt grounds and peeling paint. The company claims the owners have failed to stay current on taxes, health insurance premiums, and 401(k) contributions for the resort’s approximately 2,000 employees.
“The appointment of a receiver is therefore a critical remedy, not only to protect the value of the collateral… but to keep the Greenbrier Resort running smoothly,” wrote WSSH attorney Michael Hayes.
The conflict follows years of tension between the Justice family and Carter Bank, which held the resort’s primary loans for over two decades. The bank filed dozens of “confessions of judgment” against the family starting in 2023 after they failed to meet repayment terms.
According to court records, TRT Holdings purchased the Greenbrier debt from Carter Bank. While the Justices claim the bank blocked their payoff proposals to facilitate a secret sale, TRT maintains the family was given 14 separate forbearance agreements and failed to remit payment even after being provided with wire instructions.
Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on the receivership request for June 8, 2026. Justice, who purchased the resort out of bankruptcy in 2009, remains the majority owner, though his daughter, Jill Justice, manages daily operations.
