Blumenthal, Gillibrand & Menendez Renew Call to Help 9/11 Families' Pursuit of Justice
“The lengthy passage of time since the attacks creates powerful questions about the need for continued classification of documents and the ongoing withholding of related information.”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks approaching, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) are renewing their call to help 9/11 families who are continuing to seek justice. The senators are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to promptly review previous administrations’ claim of “state secrets privilege,” which has prevented the families of 9/11 victims from accessing important information in connection with a lawsuit they have filed under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA).
“The 9/11 families—many of whom we are honored to represent in Congress—have fought relentlessly for justice and to hold accountable all associated with the worst terrorist attack ever committed on American soil,” wrote the senators in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of FBI Christopher Wray. “A fair day in court for these brave 9/11 families requires access to evidence. Their case and this cause is about truth, justice, and accountability. DOJ must not gratuitously stand in their way. If there is any credible reason to withhold facts, testimony, and documents concerning the attacks and the FBI’s handling of subsequent investigations twenty years after 9/11, the American people deserve to know it.”
The lawmakers have long advocated for the DOJ and FBI’s review of the classification and urged the agencies to make information available to the families to the extent possible, including at Garland and Wray’s appearances before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The full text of the senators’ letter is available here.
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