A new lawsuit claims the US government won’t explain why it has abruptly seized more than $100 million from people’s safety deposit boxes in California. The nonprofit Institute for Justice is now looking to put a stop to the forfeiture proceedings of a group of citizens whose assets the FBI has confiscated with minimal to no explanation.
The Institute for Justice claims it wants to ensure the US government upholds the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees citizens “due process” when it comes to taking private property. The organization says it is also pursuing the lawsuit because the government is not providing a “just compensation” for the seized assets, which it claims may include cash, gold and jewelry.
The Institute for Justice has filed the lawsuit against US Attorney General William Barr and US Attorney for the Central District of California Nick Hanna.
The action is part of the Institute for Justice’s nationwide effort to defend the constitutional rights of Americans to keep, use and share their private property.
The non-profit organization is seeking to have the seized assets returned to their rightful owners.
The lawsuit comes in the wake of the US government’s increasingly aggressive measures to tackle financial crimes related to money laundering, drug trafficking and terrorism.