This bill would require the Attorney General to publish information about pardons or reprieves granted by the president in the Federal Register and on the president’s official website within three days of being granted. The information would include the person’s name, the date on which the reprieve or pardon was issued, and the full text of the reprieve or pardon. There is currently no requirement for the president to publish information about pardons or reprieves.
What is House Bill H.R. 3489?
Impact
The public; the Attorney General; and the President.
Cost of House Bill H.R. 3489
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
More Information
In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced this bill to require that all presidential pardons be disclosed to the public within three days of being granted:
“[This bill] will require the White House to disclose all the President’s pardons to guarantee transparency and to prevent President Trump, or anyone who succeeds him, from issuing secret pardons. There is currently no requirement that the President disclose pardons, even as he has reportedly weighed using them to sabotage Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. The President has the power to pardon but the American people have the right to know how and when he has. The Presidential Pardon Transparency Act will establish this principle in law.”
This legislation has the support of 24 Democratic cosponsors in the House.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Tim Evanson via Flickr / Creative Commons)AKA
Presidential Pardon Transparency Act of 2017
Official Title
To require the publication of the name of any person pardoned by the President, and for other purposes.
bill Progress
- Not enactedThe President has not signed this bill
- The senate has not voted
- The house has not voted
- house Committees
Committee on the JudiciaryCrime, Terrorism and Homeland SecurityIntroducedJuly 27th, 2017
Federal Agencies
Government
Legal Affairs
Transparency
