Unjust Enrichment Requires Restitution.
It's the Law!
“The Negro slave was procured through financial transactions, bred like an animal, and denied inalienable rights in order to fuel the rapid growth of the U.S. economy. Time has come for the U.S. Government, which benefitted financially from U.S. chattel slavery, as evidenced by its continuously skyrocketing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), to provide restitution to descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves who contributed the economic benefit.
“Make no doubt about it! Slavery was a criminal enterprise operated by the U.S. Government. Slavery provided the foundation for the strong economy the U.S. enjoys today Descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves are .entitled to a legal remedy. (See the Demand Letter directed to DOJ.)
–Jerroll Sanders
Chattel Slavery Was a Criminal Enterprise.
The system of U.S. chattel slavery was a criminal enterprise operated by the U.S. Government. In such an enterprise, participants operate within a structured framework to conduct unlawful acts for financial gain. This structure is designed to ensure the continuity of criminal activities and maintain a purpose that goes beyond individual crimes. Numerous books, U.S. documents, and federal institutions, including the African American History Museum in Washington, D.C., provide evidence of the brutal conditions the U.S. Government imposed on non-Hispanic chattel slaves for economic benefit. The offenses committed include:
-
- Denied personal agency
-
- Forced labor
-
- Human bondage (internment)
-
- Lifetime incarceration
-
- Separation of parents and children
-
- Forced marital separation
-
- Theft of intellectual property
-
- Child and human trafficking
-
- Child molestation
-
- Rape
-
- Sex trafficking
-
- Human breeding
-
- Emotional duress and abuse
-
- Physical abuse
-
- Mutilation and dismemberment
-
- Murder
-
- Other heinous crimesU.
Unjust Enrichment Requires Restitution.
The U.S. Government currently owes descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves an outstanding restitution amount of $53,871,359,196,129 (Fifty-three trillion, eight hundred seventy-one billion, three hundred fifty-nine million, one hundred ninety-six thousand, and one hundred twenty-nine dollars).
This debt arises from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) long-standing refusal to compensate descendants of U.S. chattel slaves for the labor and other benefits provided without compensation. The labor of chattel slaves contributed significantly to the rapid growth of the U.S. economy and the nation’s ongoing wealth (unjust enrichment). Consequently, restitution is owed.
To resolve this issue, we request that the U.S. Government make a lump-sum payment of $1,077,427,183.92 (One billion, seventy-seven million, four hundred twenty-seven thousand, one hundred eighty-three dollars) to each verified descendant of a U.S. chattel slave from the U.S. Department of Justice Judgment Fund. Attorneys representing descendants and DOJ shall agree upon methods that can be used to verify lineage.
GETTING PAID VIA THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JUDGMENT FUND
Descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves are calling on the U.S. Government to enter into a settlement to resolve the restitution debt owed to their ancestors. The Judgment Fund is a permanent and virtually unlimited source of funds available for settling restitution and other civil claims against the U.S. Government. It has been used to compensate Japanese Americans interned during World War II, individuals affected by the 9/11 attacks, and for routine claims arising from government actions.
Established by Congress in 1956, the Judgment Fund is a continuous appropriation for paying judgments against federal agencies that are not covered by other appropriations. In 1961, legislation was enacted allowing the Judgment Fund to cover DOJ settlements for ongoing or imminent lawsuits against federal agencies. Learn more: The Judgment Fund: Status of Reimbursements Required by the No FEAR Act and Contract Disputes Act | U.S. GAOD
Questions? We Have Answers.
Can I sign on to get my restitution (reparations)?
Absolutely! If you believe you are a descendant of a non-Hispanic U.S. chattel
slave, sign our petition to stay informed every step of the way and participate
in our historic effort to seek restitution from the U.S. Government, which was
unjustly enriched by non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves.
What happens after I sign the petition?
Jerroll Sanders has already sent a demand letter to President Biden, Vice
President Kamala Harris, and Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting
restitution. We will follow up by sending the demand letter again, along with
our petition containing your signature and the signatures of millions of other
descendants requesting restitution for U.S. chattel slavery. Our attorneys will
secure a meeting with the DOJ to begin drafting a compromise settlement for the
payment of restitution owed to descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves.
What is a demand letter?
A demand letter is usually the final step in the dunning process. The dunning
process generally consists of a sequence of letters (30-day late, 60-day late,
etc.) that a creditor sends to debtors when payments become overdue. When
repeated requests for payment are ignored, a demand letter is typically sent
before more aggressive actions are taken to collect money owed.
Who will be eligible for a restitution payment?
The specific conditions for establishing eligibility will be negotiated and
included in the agreement (contract) forged by our attorneys and the U.S.
Department of Justice. These negotiations will consider the legal concept of
spoliation of evidence, meaning we will insist upon eligibility standards that
recognize the U.S. Government’s failure to adequately preserve records
identifying U.S. chattel slaves.
When can I expect payment?
The timing of payment depends on the political will of President Joseph Biden,
Vice President Kamala Harris, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. If
they are willing to pay the restitution debt owed to descendants of
non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves, you could receive your check within months.
Has anyone ever tried this strategy (U.S. Department of
Justice Judgment Fund) before for slave reparations (restitution)?
We investigated whether the restitution (reparations) strategy introduced by
Jerroll Sanders had been used before. The answer is no.
Are there federal statutes allowing us to sue the federal
government for restitution?
Yes. Jerroll reviewed a case known as Cato v. United States and
discovered that some individuals acting without an attorney had filed a case in
federal court seeking reparations. A federal appeals court dismissed the
lawsuit, ruling that there was no statute (law) upon which litigants could base
their reparations claim. Jerroll, however, identified multiple bases for
bringing her restitution claim, including her assertion that U.S. chattel
slavery was a criminal enterprise operated by the U.S. Government that enriched
the entire U.S. economy. She argues that, pursuant to the legal concept of
unjust enrichment, descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves are entitled
to restitution. We believe Jerroll’s argument addresses the shortcomings cited
by the federal appeals court in Cato v. United States.
What is the legal theory?
Before discussing the legal theory, it is important to understand that the
United States Government is considered sovereign and must therefore consent to
be sued. The federal government provides consent through statutes that outline
the grounds upon which a private party may sue. One such statute is the Tucker
Act (28 U.S.C. § 1491), which permits claims against the U.S. Government for
unjust enrichment due to the alleged existence of a quasi-contract.
A quasi-contract—also known as an implied-in-law contract—is
a legal construct used to enforce fairness in situations where no actual
contract exists between the parties. It serves as a mechanism to address unjust
enrichment. By recognizing the existence of a quasi-contract, a court can
compel a party who was unjustly enriched to compensate the party who provided
the benefit. Our demand letter asserts that descendants of non-Hispanic chattel
slaves are entitled to restitution. Therefore, we are asking the U.S.
Department of Justice to recognize the existence of a quasi-contract between
U.S. chattel slaves and the U.S. Government to enforce fairness.
Is It Too Late?
Has Too Much Time Passed for Descendants of U.S. Non-Hispanic Chattel Slaves to Sue?
While there are many legal arguments to be made, we will keep it simple for now. Our core argument asserts that the U.S. Government operated a criminal enterprise known as U.S. chattel slavery to enrich the nation and its economy. We assert that unjust enrichment from this criminal enterprise continues into 2024 as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Descendants of non-Hispanic U.S. chattel slaves are therefore entitled to restitution equal to the benefit conferred, which includes the sum of GDP from 1619 to 1937 and a share of GDP from 1938 to 2024. We also assert that, during this enrichment, the U.S. Government engaged in acts that violated the inalienable rights of those enslaved, giving rise to restitution claims for numerous criminal acts. Because many of these crimes have no statute of limitations, restitution claims associated with them can be pursued as current claims.