Reps. Gillen and Malliotakis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Secure Justice for 9/11 Families and Victims of Iranian State-Sponsored Terrorism
Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D-NY-04) alongside Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11) introduced the bipartisan Never Forget the Victims of Terrorism: Joseph D. Mistrulli and Alan Kleinberg USVSST Fund Solvency Act to deliver justice for victims of Iranian-backed terrorism, including families of 9/11 victims. The legislation would provide temporary targeted financing for the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund from the billions of dollars of compensation Iran and other state sponsors of terrorism owe to American victims. More than 20,000 Americans currently hold unpaid judgments from perpetrators of state-sponsored terrorism through the Fund, including Iran.
Reps. Gillen and Malliotakis recently led a bipartisan letter with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) to President Trump urging the administration to secure overdue compensation for the victims as part of any negotiation or peace agreement with Iran. They are committed to standing with American victims of terrorism and ensuring they receive the compensation they are owed.
“American victims of Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism have waited far too long for the justice and restitution they are legally owed,” said Rep. Gillen. “The lives of more than 20,000 victims, including families impacted by 9/11, have been forever changed by heinous acts of terror, which is why Congress established the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. This bipartisan legislation ensures that our promises to victims are backed by real action, delivering the long-overdue compensation they deserve while holding Iran accountable for decades of horrific violence against Americans.”
“As New Yorkers, we understand what so many families impacted by state-sponsored terrorism have gone through, particularly as we approach the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks,” said Rep. Malliotakis. “This bipartisan proposal will strengthen the Fund’s solvency and help victims receive what they are owed.”
“We honor Joseph D. Mistrulli and Alan Kleinberg, and every American whose life was stolen by terrorism,” said Angela Mistrulli, Founder, American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism United. “Their families deserve justice without delay, and the ‘Never Forget the Victims of Terrorism: Joseph D. Mistrulli and Alan Kleinberg USVSST Fund Solvency Act’ ensures that promise is kept. My family is deeply appreciative of our own Congresswoman Gillen, and of longtime champion and friend Congresswoman Malliotakis, for their unwavering commitment to all American victims of state‑sponsored terrorism. Their leadership continues to give families like ours strength, hope, and a path toward long‑overdue justice. Today, we call upon Congress to bring this bill to the floor immediately for a vote, because justice cannot wait.”
The bipartisan Never Forget the Victims of Terrorism: Joseph D. Mistrulli and Alan Kleinberg USVSST Fund Solvency Act would strengthen the fund, which has not kept pace with eligible claims, providing temporary financing and mandatory repayment from future enforcement proceedings. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found long-term revenue insufficiency in existing statutory sources, providing the need for this legislation.
Established in 2015, the USVSST Fund is a federal program administered by the Department of Justice to provide financial compensation to American victims and families harmed by international terrorism. As Iran refuses to honor billions of dollars in outstanding American judicial judgments, the Fund relies on assets seized from federal enforcement actions and state sponsors to ensure victims receive a measure of justice. 9/11 victims and their family members receive a dedicated 50 percent allocation of all money available for distributions from the USVSST Fund. n
NYC Jewish Bar Associations Open Letter To Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Dear Mayor Mamdani,
We write as a coalition of New York City’s Jewish Bar Associations. We are attorneys and judges who serve this city with an unwavering commitment to justice, the rule of law, and the safety of all New Yorkers.
Your recent announcement of appointees to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary has left us deeply disappointed. Not a single Jewish attorney, former judge, or legal professional was appointed to a committee your administration described as one that would be “truly reflective of New York City.”
New York City is home to the largest Jewish population in the United States. Excluding Jewish representation from this committee is neither reflective nor inclusive. It follows a troubling pattern that has left many Jewish New Yorkers feeling increasingly marginalized, especially following your rejection of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and the omission of Jewish neighborhoods from a map highlighting immigrant enclaves. With respect to the Advisory Committee, we find your unprecedented rejection of the highly respected retired Appellate Division Justice John Leventhal particularly disconcerting given the lack of any Jewish representation on the committee.
At a time when antisemitism is reaching historic levels in our city, leadership matters. Last week’s attack on a visibly Jewish man on the Upper West Side is yet another painful reminder that antisemitic violence is real and growing. Jewish New Yorkers deserve to know that their elected leaders value their safety, their voices, and their place in our city’s institutions.
We urge you to correct this exclusion by appointing qualified Jewish members to the Advisory Committee and to reaffirm that Jewish New Yorkers are entitled to the same representation, respect, and protection as every other community.
We stand ready to work constructively with your administration, but we cannot remain silent when our community is excluded from the decisions and processes that shape the future of New York’s judiciary.
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Forspan, Esq. President, Brandeis Association of Queens
Benjamin Y. Kaufman, Esq. President, Jewish Lawyers Guild (New York County)
Jeffrey Miller, Esq. President, Brooklyn Brandeis Society
Matthew J. Kluger, Esq. President, Bronx County Jewish Bar Association
cc: Hon. Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State; Hon. Letitia James, Attorney General of New York State; Hon. Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council; Hon. Mark Levine, New York City Comptroller; Hon. Jumaane D. Williams, New York City Public Advocate; Hon. Rowan Wilson, Chief Judge of New York State; Hon. Joseph A. Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge of the New York Unified Court System; Hon. Hector D. LaSalle, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department; Hon. Dianne T. Renwick, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department; Hon. Adam Silvera, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the New York City Courts; Hon. Edwina G. Richardson, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, NYS Office for Justice Initiatives; Ali Najmi, Esq, Chair, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary,
New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein penned a letter to State Attorney General Letitia James urging her to review recent actions taken by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, specifically his efforts to explore ordering local law enforcement agencies to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu during a potential visit to New York City.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Mayor Mamdani stated that the Prime Minister of Israel is “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court” and that his administration is “in active conversation” with the city’s law department regarding the possibility of arresting Netanyahu.
In the letter, Assemblyman Eichenstein argues that New York State’s Criminal Procedure Law prohibits a mayor from directly ordering a law enforcement agency to arrest a specific individual and that a public official cannot attempt to leverage his or her authority to direct law enforcement actions against an individual based on personal, political, or ideological principles. If a public servant knowingly misuses his position with the intent to obtain a benefit or deprive another person of a benefit, that is a violation of New York Penal Law § 195.00 and constitutes official misconduct.
“Therefore, I urge the Attorney General’s office to review the circumstances and the actions made by the Mayor to determine whether there has been any violation of New York laws,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “It is imperative that we preserve the independence and integrity of law enforcement in New York State. No individual should undermine that independence for personal or political gain.”
