No Payoffs for Pardons Act

Increased Transparency for Clemency Recipients: Individuals who receive a pardon or commutation must file disclosure reports with the Attorney General, providing details on any benefits given to covered recipients. This could help the public understand potential connections between clemency and political or financial contributions (Section 3(b)).

Public Access to Information: The Attorney General is required to make all disclosure reports publicly available on a searchable, machine-readable website. This allows citizens to monitor potential influences on the clemency process (Section 3(d)).

Strengthened Anti-Corruption Measures: By updating the federal bribery statute, the bill includes the President, Vice President, and political candidates under the scope of bribery laws regarding official acts like granting clemency. This is intended to address the "weaponization" of the pardon power (Section 4(a)).

Extended Time for Prosecution: The bill extends the statute of limitations for bribery offenses related to executive clemency to 10 years. This provides a longer window to investigate and prosecute corrupt arrangements involving the granting or promising of pardons (Section 4(b)).

Financial Burdens on Clemency Recipients: Individuals receiving clemency face significant civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation if they fail to file reports or file inaccurate ones. Additionally, those who willfully fail to report or file false reports can face fines and up to 5 years in prison (Section 3(e)).

Administrative Burden for Legal Representation: While bona fide legal services are excepted, any payments that include elements of lobbying or advice related to seeking clemency must be specifically allocated and documented, which may create extra work for recipients and their counsel (Section 3(c)).