Special master of Sept. 11 compensation fund stepping down

NEW YORK  — The administrator of the federal compensation fund for Sept. 11 victims is stepping down after five years.

Sheila Birnbaum will leave her post as special master of the fund that disburses compensation awards to first responders, recovery workers and other people affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the move Thursday.

The new special master of the compensation fund will be Rupa Bhattacharyya (BAHT'-tah-char-yuh), who currently serves as director of the Department of Justice's constitutional and specialized tort litigation section.

Birnbaum oversaw the distribution of approximately $1.8 billion in compensation funds since taking over as special master in 2011. She says serving as special master of the fund has been the most rewarding work of her career.

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