Guest Column: Resource Protection for Idaho Crime Victims | Opinion

I have continually worked with Idaho leaders in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse, as well as with fellow senators, to protect the fund from those who seek to borrow or use these funds for other purposes. And it is clear that we cannot rely on these efforts. US Department of Justice (DOJ) data shows the agency has diverted funds to the CVF, which is already at historically low levels.

Therefore, I joined Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in urging the DOJ to maintain adequate funding to compensate crime victims. We emphasized: “Congress has consistently acted to ensure that the CVF has adequate funding streams; Yet the Department of Justice appears not to have done the necessary work to ensure that the funds that were supposed to be deposited into the CVF are actually deposited. Simply put, this is absolutely unacceptable.” We have asked the DOJ for a detailed explanation of the movement of these important funds.

While we await answers from the DOJ, I have also joined the request for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the CVF and its management by the DOJ. We requested that GAO’s investigation include an assessment of the management and use of CVF funds over the past decade. Fortunately, the GAO has agreed to review how the CVF’s deposits and balance reached such historically low levels, as well as the fund’s financial management and administration, to determine how best to resolve the CVF’s problems. As we explained in our request, “Addressing these issues is critical to ensuring that victims and survivors of crime have access to resources to help them heal.”

As we search for answers and a stop to the misdirection of funds intended to help victims of crime, I will continue to do everything I can to protect these resources. I credit the partnerships with leaders in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse in Idaho and my fellow senators who have supported these efforts with advancing our work to protect these dedicated funds.