Bill · S. 4299· Senate(119-S-4299)
Ban Presidential Plunder of Taxpayer Funds Act
- Introduced
- 4/15/2026
- Last activity
- 4/15/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Elizabeth Warren
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Ban Presidential Plunder of Taxpayer Funds Act," seeks to amend title 28 of the United States Code. It aims to prohibit Presidents, Vice Presidents, and certain related individuals from receiving settlement payments or damages from the United States. The legislation establishes strict rules for legal actions and administrative claims involving these "covered individuals." It includes specific requirements for court-appointed independent counsel and transparency mandates for legal proceedings. Additionally, it outlines strict guardrails and oversight processes for former officials seeking payments. The Act also establishes various penalties for violations of these new rules.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+7
The act mandates that court filings, proceedings, and audio be made public and free of charge online.
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+5
The bill prohibits Presidents and Vice Presidents from receiving settlement payments or damages from the United States, which limits government outflows.
The opposite
Would high-income households be better off under this?-5
The bill restricts the ability of high-profile political figures to recover damages or settlements from the government.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency: For any civil action regarding damages, the court must make all filings, proceedings, and audio of sessions available online, free of charge, and in a user-friendly manner (Section 2(e)(f)).
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Enhanced Oversight for Former Officials: When former covered individuals file claims, the process requires an expert, career employee to lead the review, ensuring that no executive branch employee appointed by the covered individual is involved in the adjudication (Section 2(g)(1)-(2)).
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Public Accountability for Payments: For payments made to former covered individuals, the terms and the specific details of the payment must be published in the Federal Register within 7 days (Section 2(g)(3)-(4)).
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Congressional Oversight: Agencies must submit copies of claims and any resulting approvals or denials to the appropriate congressional committees (Section 2(g)(5)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Legal Recovery: Covered individuals are prohibited from recovering damages, reimbursement, or attorney's fees from the United States through settlement agreements or administrative resolutions (Section 2(b)).
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Limitations on Court Awards: Courts are prohibited from awarding any damages to a covered individual other than actual or compensatory damages (Section 2(e)(1)).
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Mandatory Independent Counsel: To receive actual or compensatory damages in a civil action, a covered individual must agree to the court-appointed independent counsel to represent the agency defending against the claim (Section 2(e)(2)(A)).
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Severe Penalties for Violations: Covered individuals who willfully violate the ban on obtaining payments or knowingly violate the ban on filing claims face disgorgement of payments, civil penalties of up to $1,000,000 (or the aggregate amount of payments), and up to 5 years in prison (Section 2(h)(1)).
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Penalties for Government Employees: Any individual who willfully causes a department or agency to process a prohibited claim can face civil penalties of up to $50,000 and up to 6 months in prison (Section 2(h)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For High Income Households-5
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending+5
- 4/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York