Victims of state-sponsored terrorism urge Congress, Trump to refill empty comp fund with Iran money

Victims of domestic terrorism and their surviving family members came to Capitol Hill on Monday to urge members of Congress to replenish a congressionally-mandated fund that is now empty. 

“Victims who were promised support have faced years with nothing at all," said Angela Mistrulli, whose father, Joseph Mistrulli, died inside the World Trade Center, in New York, in the Sept.11, 2001 terror attacks. "This is not theoretical. It is happening today, and it is harming families who have already suffered.” 

Nearly 3,000 people died in the 9-11 attacks. 

The compensation money was established 11 years ago through the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

Those gathered Monday in Upper Senate Park asked that the coffers be replenished through the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act. 

The fund established by Congress in 2015 provided compensation to victims of state-sponsored terrorism and has since paid $10 billion to eligible victims. 

However, funds for the program have since been depleted, experiencing a sharp decline after 2020 in the collection of criminal penalties, civil fines, and asset forfeitures used to finance it, according to the Government Accountability Office. 

Victims and families essentially want money from Iran's frozen assets – billions of dollars in revenue from international oil sales locked in foreign bank accounts – as compensation for the unpaid billions in damages they've won in U.S. federal courts.  

Their request comes with about 30 days left for the U.S. and Iran to complete a June 17 Memorandum of Understanding to end their war that includes the prospect of Tehran receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen assets and sanctions relief.

The families while in Washington, D.C., will also urge President Trump to demand Iran pay restitution as part of any potential peace deal, according to CBS News.

Iran is considered among the world's largest state sponsors of terrorism.

“No agreement, interim or long-term, should release, transfer, unfreeze, or return Iranian assets, or lift or relieve sanctions, before the outstanding terrorism judgments owed to American victims are resolved,” New York Reps. Laura Gillen, a Republican, and  Nicole Malliotakis and Mike Lawler, Democrats, wrote in a bipartisan letter on July 1.

Christina Park is a reporter for Just the News. Follow her on X for more coverage.

Katherine Pugh is a reporter for Just the News. Follow her on X for more coverage.