West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice faced some difficult questions during his Monday, Jan. 4, coronavirus media-briefing, regarding a New Year’s Eve celebration held last week at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs. Gov. Justice purchased the resort in 2009 and his daughter, Dr. Jill Justice, oversees day-to-day operations.
Some 400 guests attended the party on Thursday night, at a price of $175 per guest. Shortly after, several videos surfaced on social media showing partygoers not socially distancing, with many not wearing masks, in clear violation of the public health and safety protocols set forth by the CDC, as well as executive mandates issued by Justice himself. To complicate matters for the governor, the controversial party took place just one day after Justice announced that all elementary and middle school students would be returning to school for in-person learning on Jan.19.
The backlash on social media was both fierce and immediate:
“Do your part and slow the spread,” one comment reads. “What … was that party at The Greenbrier the other night? You want to send kids and teachers to school while behaving so irresponsibly?
Another comment stated, “It is crucial you stop throwing large parties with lots of unmasked people.”
And yet another comment reads, “Says the same man that delays basketball until March but there’s a huge party at The Greenbrier. Makes sense. Adults do whatever and kids suffer.”
Justice, who has said numerous times during his four-years as governor that he has very little involvement in the operations of The Greenbrier, was not present at the New Year’s Eve celebration.
When first asked on Monday about his reaction to the gathering, Justice became defensive, referring to the backlash as a “political hit job,” before defending the resort’s decision to host the party.
“Let’s just call it what it is,” Justice began. “The bottom line of the whole thing, it’s a hit at me from the standpoint of a political hit at me. That’s all there is to it. [ ] It’s just a slap at an employer that’s employing 1,500 people with great jobs there.”
Justice went on to say that he was home in bed at the time of The Greenbrier’s party.
“Protocols are in place,” Justice continued to say. “And I will promise you to God above that The Greenbrier is absolutely following every protocol that you can possibly follow. You gotta remember this too: there’s 1,500 employees and there’s probably close to that in guests that are there. And they’re spread out and they’re absolutely doing everything under the sun. Somebody is gonna do something somewhere to where somebody can take a photo and then try to trash people about it.”
The videos appear to stand in stark contradiction to Justice’s assurances that The Greenbrier is “following every protocol.”
When asked how West Virginians should feel after watching the videos, Justice said, “I’ve not been in the interim part of The Greenbrier hotel for who knows, maybe a year or longer. I’m not gonna’ apologize to you for employing 1,500 people there and doing the work that we’ve done. [ ] I can tell you that the protocols are in place. [ ] The health department came and went through all that. There are people eating there. In every situation, you can come up with something. I’m not making any excuses or dodging any questions. The Greenbrier, of all places, plan it over and over and over. [ ] Could they have done better in this situation, well probably so. But I don’t know all the details. [ ] But to hit back at me about this, well, there’s 1,500 people there.”
Justice was also asked about the identity of The Greenbrier employees responsible for the planning and facilitation of the celebration, and if he would make those identities available to the media.
“I don’t have any idea who the planners were or who put it all together,” Justice said. “But I’ll be glad to put it all together and get you the information. I’ll call my daughter and she’ll put the information together and get it to you all. I surely don’t have anything to hide.”
Justice concluded the briefing by saying, “Evidently we surely shouldn’t have done what happened at The Greenbrier. [ ] Things like this are gonna happen, they just plain are. [ ] I could say ‘gosh dog, I really think it’s not fair’. But in this job, it really just echoes all around the place. We expect our people, and myself, to do good. And we can’t really expect [a pass in exchange.] We don’t need a pass. I don’t need a pass. That’s all there is to it. I don’t need patted on the back or told how great we’ve done, I don’t need any of that. I’m going to continue to try to do the greatness as best I possibly can and at the same time, if there’s something wrong with somewhere in my neighborhood or that I own or whatever, then we’ll get it straightened up. That’s all there is to it.”
The West Virginia Daily News will have more on this developing story as additional details become available.
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