S. 4299: Ban Presidential Plunder of Taxpayer Funds Act

This bill, titled the Ban Presidential Plunder of Taxpayer Funds Act, aims to amend U.S. law regarding financial settlements involving current and former Presidents and Vice Presidents. The main points of the bill are as follows:

Definitions

The bill establishes who qualifies as a covered individual, which includes:

• The President
• The Vice President
• A former President if their former Vice President is currently in office
• The spouse or dependent child of these individuals
• Trusts or entities established for the benefit of these individuals

Prohibitions on Payments

Under this bill, no covered individual can:

• Recover damages or agree to any compensation from the United States related to administrative claims, civil actions, or similar settlements.
• File administrative claims seeking damages, reimbursement, or attorney’s fees against the United States.

Administrative Processing

No U.S. department or agency is allowed to process or fulfill any claims for payment by a covered individual that are filed under the provisions of this bill.

Limits on Awards in Lawsuits

Courts are restricted in the types of damages they can award to covered individuals. They may only award actual or compensatory damages under other laws if the following requirements are met:

• The individual agrees to the appointment of an independent counsel to represent the agency defending against the claim.
• The court appoints this independent counsel.
• The agency cooperates in the litigation process, including access to necessary documents and personnel.

Transparency Requirements

The bill mandates that all court actions concerning claims made under this bill must be made public. This includes making online audio recordings available contemporaneously with the court sessions.

Claims by Former Covered Individuals

After leaving office, former Presidents and Vice Presidents can still file claims against the United States. However, the bill requires specific oversight measures, including the following:

• An expert career employee must lead the review of the claim.
• Employees or officials appointed by the covered individual cannot participate in any related reviews.
• Terms of any payment agreement must be published within 7 days.
• Details of any payments must also be published within 7 days.
• The relevant agency must submit claim details to Congress prior to assessing the claim.

Penalties

Any covered individual who violates provisions of this bill may face the following penalties:

• Disgorgement of payments received.
• Civil penalties up to $1,000,000 or the total amount received, whichever is greater.
• Imprisonment for up to 5 years.

Additionally, individuals causing a violation by a government agency may face civil penalties of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for up to 6 months.

Other Provisions

The bill establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for prosecuting violations and stipulates that the timeline for claims by covered individuals is paused while they are in office.

Applicability

The provisions of the bill apply to any requests for payments occurring after its enactment, regardless of when the related claims arose.

Relevant Companies

None found.