“I am introducing a bill to stop presidents from selling pardons. Donald Trump uses his pardon power to help his friends and make money. This bill makes clear that federal bribery laws apply to the president. It also requires people who get pardons to report any money they gave to get them.”
“Mr. President, on the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale. Today, I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain. Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons. Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft, or personal profit. The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie. Trump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, and other crooks convicted of swindling the American people. The American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption, and pardons are no exception. Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes. It is the same old grift: Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself. In Trump’s America, if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law. Our bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself. Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency. We need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them for once and for all. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ``227A. Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executive”
Mr. President, on the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale. Today, I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain. Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons. Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft, or personal profit. The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie. Trump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, and other crooks convicted of swindling the American people. The American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption, and pardons are no exception. Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes. It is the same old grift: Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself. In Trump’s America, if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law. Our bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself. Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency. We need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them for once and for all. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ``227A. Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executive