President Donald Trump is promising to resolve remaining claims tied to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. But as thousands of cases remain unresolved, questions about the government's settlement offers are drawing criticism from an unexpected source: one of Trump's own allies.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Greenville Tuesday night, Trump told supporters that his administration had delivered a billion dollars in cash settlements to veterans and families affected by the contamination.
He said he wanted the money to go directly to those families, rather than to attorneys representing them. Trump said, "We don't want to give any to the trial lawyers. We've given a lot of money to -- no trial lawyers, if you don't mind -- we want it to go to the families, not to the lawyers."
Trump also tied his promise to resolve the remaining claims to the outcome of next month's midterm elections, telling the crowd that Republicans must retain control of Congress.
"If we don't win, there's no money," he said. "If we do win, you're getting it. It's gonna be finally over with that nightmare that's been going on for so many years. We will never abandon the heroes who served America."
Their stories: Born into Toxicity: Camp Lejeune survivor fights for justice
A dispute over settlement offers
But even as Trump promised action, Laura Loomer, a conservative activist who has supported the president, was criticizing the Justice Department over the compensation being offered to some people who say they were harmed by the contaminated water.
Loomer said she had obtained five settlement offers involving people who developed serious illnesses, including cancer and Parkinson's disease. She characterized the offers as inadequate and accused Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who is overseeing the department's settlement efforts, of failing to deliver fair compensation.
Loomer also alleged that the government had paid experts to challenge the connection between the contaminated water and claimants' illnesses. Those are her allegations; they have not been established as findings of wrongdoing.
Their stories: Widow of Camp Lejeune Marine: Battle with U.S. government over compensation for toxic water exposure is "cruel"
Blanche defends the Justice Department
Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back against Loomer's criticism in a post on X Tuesday.
Blanche defended Woodward, saying decisions involving Camp Lejeune cases are made collectively by Justice Department leadership, the civil division and trial teams, with consultation from the White House counsel's office and the Department of War.
Blanche said the administration wants to get the cases right and accused Loomer of misleading her followers about Woodward's role.
The public disagreement comes as the government continues to handle a large backlog of claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, a 2022 law that allows people who lived or worked at the Marine Corps base between 1953 and 1987 to seek compensation for illnesses linked to the contaminated water.
Their stories: Widow of Marine whose breast cancer death may have been caused by toxic water at Camp Lejeune awaits justice
What happens next?
The Justice Department reported in September that settlement offers had exceeded $1.1 billion, with payments totaling more than $879 million. Those figures cover the department's reported program totals and are separate from Trump's claim at the rally that his administration had delivered a billion dollars in cash settlements.
Many claims remain unresolved, and litigation continues in federal court in eastern North Carolina. A court deadline at the end of October adds urgency to efforts to establish a framework for resolving outstanding cases.
For veterans and families who have spent years seeking compensation, the question is whether Trump's promise will lead to faster resolutions and offers they consider fair.
For now, the president has promised action, Loomer is challenging the administration's settlement approach, and the Justice Department says its decisions involve multiple officials working to resolve the cases.
Their stories: USMC wife sickened after living at Tarawa Terrace aboard Camp Lejeune in Vietnam War era fighting for compensation
