Clemency recipients and paid representatives would disclose financial ties

Paid clemency representatives would report their contacts and compensation to the Pardon Attorney. Coverage would include paid contacts with designated federal officials or the president’s immediate family, including spouses of those family members. People working without direct or indirect compensation from the applicant or someone acting for the applicant would be excluded. Knowing violations could bring a civil fine of up to $200,000. Initial reports would be due within 30 days of the first contact and posted within 15 days of receipt.

People granted presidential clemency would report assistance they engaged and certain benefits they provided. Benefit reports would cover the president, Cabinet members, members of Congress, their immediate families, and specified entities tied to the president or the president’s family. Benefits would include money, gifts, and other things of value totaling at least $5,000, provided directly or through others. Reporting violations could bring a civil fine of up to $5,000. Recipients would report within 62 days of clemency, and the Pardon Attorney’s office would publish the information by that same deadline.

The Pardon Attorney would publish clemency decisions and send related records to congressional committee leaders. Reports would cover each clemency grant and go to the chairs and top minority-party members of both congressional Judiciary Committees. If no related records exist, the Pardon Attorney would certify that fact to the committee leaders. Both public posting and submission of records to Congress would be due within 30 days of the clemency grant.

People owed court-ordered repayment could sue a clemency recipient in federal district court for unpaid amounts. This would cover people entitled to repayment under a restitution order, which orders someone to repay harm caused by an offense. The repayment order must have been entered before clemency and concern an offense covered by that clemency. The recipient must have failed to pay amounts due. A court could award repayment and costs, including reasonable lawyer fees, despite the clemency grant.