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119-s-5687119th CongressWALLET

Presidential Pardon Integrity Act

Sponsored By: Senator Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

Introduced

Summary

Strengthens transparency and accountability for presidential clemency. This bill would create a career Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Department of Justice, set formal petition rules, require public disclosures and deadlines, and impose civil penalties for undisclosed payments or false filings.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Investigations and victim notice rules

If enacted, the Pardon Attorney would investigate clemency petitions using appropriate federal agencies, including the FBI. For petitions involving a felony with a victim, the Pardon Attorney would make reasonable efforts to notify each victim and allow victim comments when contact is warranted. Notice would be mandatory when a victim has a release-notification request on file with the Bureau of Prisons.

Victims can sue to collect restitution

If enacted, a person who was awarded restitution before a clemency grant would be able to sue in federal district court if the clemency recipient does not pay. A court could order the unpaid restitution and also award costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees. This remedy would apply even if clemency had been granted after the restitution order.

Paid clemency representatives must disclose

If enacted, anyone paid to make clemency contacts on another person's behalf would have to file disclosures with the Pardon Attorney. An initial disclosure would be due within 30 days of the first contact and updates within 30 days of a grant, denial, or new promised/received compensation. Disclosures must list clients, payers, communications, compensation terms, and covered contributions over $5,000 in the prior 3 years. The Pardon Attorney would post disclosures within 15 days. Knowing failures to comply could bring civil penalties up to $200,000.

New career pardon office and petitions

If enacted, the Department of Justice would create a career Office of the Pardon Attorney. The Pardon Attorney would be a career Senior Executive Service official who reports to the Deputy Attorney General. People seeking a pardon, commutation, reprieve, or fine remission would have to file a formal petition with the Pardon Attorney (military petitions would go to the military department that handled the original court-martial). The pardon office and federal prison wardens would make petition forms available.

Pardon recipients must file disclosures

If enacted, the pardon office would notify a clemency recipient within 2 days of a grant and require the recipient to submit information through an online portal. The Attorney General would have to establish the portal within 90 days of enactment. Recipients would have 62 days after a grant to report whether they engaged representatives and whether they or related parties provided covered benefits worth at least $5,000 to specified officials or entities. The office would post recipient disclosures within 62 days. A knowing failure to file or a materially false filing could bring a civil penalty up to $5,000.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

NJ • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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