Democrats Seek To Bar Presidents From Collecting Settlement Money From The Government

Democratic lawmakers will present a measure Wednesday to prohibition nan president, vice president and their families from collecting suit colony payments from nan government.

The bill, dubbed nan "Ban Presidential Plunder of Taxpayer Funds Act," comes aft President Donald Trump sued nan IRS and nan Treasury Department for $10 cardinal complete nan leak of his taxation records, and those of his sons and his company, to news outlets. Trump said he would donate immoderate money he received to charity, but nan suit enraged critics who based on that immoderate money he mightiness person from a colony would travel from taxpayers.

Months earlier, Trump acknowledged he was seeking damages from nan Justice Department, saying, "I conjecture they beryllium maine a batch of money."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. David Min of California are introducing nan measure successful their respective chambers.

The bill, shared pinch NBC News, would prohibition nan president, nan vice president, their spouses and children and immoderate spot "that exists for their benefit" aliases "entity they ain aliases control" from collecting payments arsenic portion of a colony agreement, which parties sometimes scope successful bid to debar going to court.

Presidents and vice presidents could cod compensatory damages if a judge appoints an independent counsel to correspond nan national entity being sued and besides makes tribunal proceedings public. Compensatory damages are awarded by courts to supply restitution for losses.

The measure would besides enforce nan restrictions connected erstwhile presidents if their vice presidents were to win them successful nan Oval Office. Former presidents and vice presidents could cod damages nether definite conditions, among them that nary 1 appointed by a president aliases a vice president is progressive successful nan declare and that immoderate colony statement aliases costs is yet made nationalist and elaborate to Congress.

"While American families are getting flattened by skyrocketing costs, Donald Trump is trying to snatch up billions of payer dollars to statement his ain pockets and settee individual scores," Warren said successful a statement. "My measure will adjacent nan loopholes that alteration this evident corruption and prohibition Trump — and each early Presidents and Vice Presidents — from abusing their powerfulness and stealing Americans’ hard-earned money."

Lawmakers person pursued akin authorities successful nan past. In February, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a measure to taxation damages received by a president aliases vice president from nan national authorities astatine 100%, efficaciously negating immoderate profit from nan agreement. That measure has not received a ballot successful nan Senate.