Sponsors (6)
The bill increases transparency and strengthens prosecutors' ability to combat clemency‑related corruption, but it also expands criminal and reporting exposure—raising privacy, cost, and politicization risks that could chill lawful political activity and impose burdens on recipients and government.
Taxpayers, journalists, and watchdogs gain clearer, standardized visibility into post-clemency financial ties because clemency recipients must disclose gifts/payments ≥ $10,000 to the Attorney General on standardized forms via an online portal and related reports will be published.
Prosecutors and law‑enforcement gain stronger, clearer tools to pursue bribery and corruption tied to clemency by treating pardons/commutations as 'things of value,' defining clemency as an 'official act,' expanding covered persons, and extending the limitations window.
Americans benefit from reinforced norms against corrupt use of clemency because Congressional findings emphasize that the pardon power should serve justice and authorize Congress to address intermediaries, which could deter influence‑peddling.
Presidential, state, and other political actors face expanded criminal exposure because broad definitions and coverage (including candidates and customary political communications) may sweep ordinary political activity into bribery statutes and chill lawful advocacy.
Clemency recipients and third‑party payors risk privacy intrusions and chilling effects because mandatory disclosure of payments/gifts (≥ $10,000) over a 10‑year window could reveal sensitive personal or business information and capture routine transactions.
The bill's findings and public framing that allege corrupt clemency use risk deepening political polarization and undermining public trust in executive actions, which can reduce confidence in government institutions.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires clemency recipients to disclose sizable benefits received around clemency, treats clemency as a thing of value under bribery law, and creates new penalties and a 10‑year limitation for clemency‑related bribery.
Official title: Amend title 18, United States Code, to reform executive clemency.
Introduced August 3, 2026 by Charles Ellis Schumer · Last progress August 3, 2026
Requires people who receive presidential clemency (pardons, commutations, reprieves, or similar) to disclose sizable payments, gifts, and benefits they or their associates received around the time of the clemency. It directs the Attorney General to collect, publish, and enforce those financial reports and creates civil and criminal penalties for willful violations. Also amends the federal bribery law to make clemency instruments explicitly “things of value,” expands definitions to cover certain candidates and official acts involving clemency, and establishes a 10‑year statute of limitations for bribery prosecutions tied to clemency transactions.