WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho has joined several Senate colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Justice to prioritize collecting billions of dollars in outstanding criminal fines and penalties that are required by law to be deposited into the federal Crime Victims Fund.

In a February 12 letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Crapo joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Susan Collins of Maine, in calling on the department to collect nearly $10 billion in unpaid criminal debts identified in the most recent U.S. Attorneys’ Annual Statistical Report.

According to the lawmakers, federal law requires that fines and penalties collected through criminal convictions and certain settlements be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund, with limited exceptions. The fund was created by Congress in 1984 under the Victims of Crime Act and is designed to provide resources and support services to crime victims nationwide without relying on taxpayer dollars.

In the letter, the senators wrote that collecting outstanding fines would both hold offenders accountable and help ensure sufficient resources for victims and survivors of crime. They cited Department of Justice data showing that, as of the end of fiscal year 2024, nearly $10 billion in criminal debt was considered collectible.

The letter also references oversight efforts related to the fund. The senators noted that the Government Accountability Office is conducting a study into the administration of the Crime Victims Fund, and that the DOJ Office of Inspector General has an ongoing audit of the department’s process for identifying and directing deposits into the fund.

According to the correspondence, the Crime Victims Fund currently holds a balance of approximately $3.5 billion, and the lawmakers requested that DOJ provide Congress with rolling updates on its efforts to collect and deposit outstanding criminal fines.

The senators asked the department to respond by February 25 with information about steps being taken to recover the unpaid debts.