Military Families Seek DOJ Release of $777 Million From Lafarge ISIS Settlement

Military families involved in litigation against Lafarge are asking the Department of Justice to release nearly $777 million the company paid in a 2022 settlement. The money sits in a DOJ asset forfeiture fund created after Lafarge admitted to paying more than $6.5 million to ISIS between 2013 and 2014 to keep a Syrian cement plant operating.

Lafarge case In April a French court convicted Lafarge of providing material support to a terrorist group and sentenced its former CEO to six years in prison. Eight other former employees were also found guilty. Lafarge described the conduct as a legacy matter that violated its code of conduct and is appealing the verdict.

Plaintiffs and compensation requests Todd Toral, a lawyer at Jenner & Block representing about 25 of the families, said the French ruling is the first time both a corporation and its executives have been held accountable for aiding terrorism. Toral stated the funds should compensate families whose relatives were killed by ISIS, noting that the payments are undisputed facts established by Lafarge’s 2022 guilty plea.

One plaintiff, Hailey Dayton, whose father was killed by ISIS in 2016, said the DOJ has not responded to repeated requests for the money. Lindsey Stacy, whose husband Kenton Stacy was injured in Raqqa in 2017 and is now quadriplegic, said the family has struggled financially for nearly nine years.

The Department of Justice said it is committed to compensating victims but has not announced a distribution timeline.