Justice Says Nothing Wrong With Babydog Sweepstakes
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CHARLESTON -- One day after a national news story broke alluding to the state's participation in a federal investigation into COVID-19 spending, Gov. Jim Justice pushed back on claims that West Virginia's vaccine lottery was inappropriate.
Justice said Tuesday afternoon that he was sending a letter to editors at CBS News seeking a clarification regarding a story that broke Monday morning claiming that the state's "Do It For Babydog: Save a Life, Change Your Life" Sweepstakes was being scrutinized after the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia subpoenaed records from the Governor's Office regarding the sale of a pick-up truck by a car dealer.
"What's been reported here is nothing but 18-karat garbage," Justice said. "It's been reported that we were under investigation. That's completely wrong. We received a subpoena to supply information. We supplied it all."
The Do It For Babydog sweepstakes was funded in part from the $1.25 billion in Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars the state received at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Monday's story, CBS News said the Governor's Office was subpoenaed for invoices regarding the purchase of vehicles as part of the lottery as an incentive for West Virginia residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
"There was a time right in the middle of the vaccine stuff when we kind of hit a wall and the number of people who were getting vaccinated really, really slowed down," Justice said. "The Trump administration was pushing in every way to get more and more shots in arms. I said a thousand times that we would be respectful of those who decide we don't want to take the vaccine … but everyone was pushing everybody to get more and more vaccines in arms."
According to the State Auditor's Office, more than $23.4 million was spent on COVID-19 vaccine incentive prizes between Jan. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022. More than $2.2 million was spent on cars, trucks, ATVs, motorcycles, and boats.
"We had some great winners and we has some fun with it, but we got a lot of people across the finish line," Justice said. "There is no question in the entire world … that we saved a bunch of lives, too."
The Governor's Office has since pushed back against the CBS News story, stating that the Governor's Office itself was not under federal investigation, only cooperating in another federal investigation into several of the car dealerships that sold vehicles to the state and whether the prices of the vehicles were inflated.
Justice and Brian Abraham, the Governor's chief of staff, said they were informed that investigation was closed with no charges against the dealerships. Officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice have been silent.
"If anything would have come of that issue, we would have been a victim," Abraham said. "In truth, the evidence was shown -- and the car dealers were able to show likewise -- that the premium packages placed on automobiles after they were received at the dealerships, such as lift kits on the trucks or ultra packages that were on the cars, that those would have been the prices paid at the dealership by anybody walking off the street."
While the CBS Story itself was accurate, Abraham accused the reporters of trying to thread a needle to by making it appear as if the vaccine lottery was inappropriate, calling the story a "hit job." Justice said he stands behind the Do It For Babydog sweepstakes.
"Of course, it was effective. Of course, it is difficult to measure, but we did get a lot more people vaccinated," Justice said. "You'll never in a billion years … get me to be ashamed of anything we did."
Justice also called the timing of the report questionable. Sources said that interviews for the CBS Story took place at the beginning of Spring but the report only came out Monday. Justice is now one of four Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in 2024, seeking the seat now held by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. The campaign of one of those candidates, U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., attacked Justice Tuesday morning following the news report.
"Big spender Jim Justice strikes again. After Justice used COVID to waste taxpayer money and push control over our lives, we now know the costly effects of his failed plans," said John Findlay, campaign manager for Mooney. "Given the swamp's out-of-control spending, the last thing we need is a RINO like Justice in Washington."
Justice, the frontrunner in all of the U.S. Senate primary and general election polls released to date, said the CBS News report was just another attempt to derail his campaign, which is supported by Senate Republican leadership. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and other top Senate Republican leaders are hosting a fundraiser for Justice Wednesday in Washington D.C.
"You're dag gum well right I'm going to win," Justice said. "And absolutely as I win, we're going to flip control of the Senate. You can write it and mark it down. We're going to flip it and take control of our country and put it back on the right path."