Reps. Levin & Crow Introduce New Legislation to Crack Down on Presidential Abuse of the Pardon Power

The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act would strengthen oversight, expose conflicts of interest, and prevent corruption in the presidential pardon process.

Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Co-Chairs of the End Corruption Caucus, introduced the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act, legislation to crack down on abuses of the presidential pardon power and establish new safeguards against corruption, bribery, and conflicts of interest in the clemency process.

The legislation comes amid growing scrutiny of President Trump’s misuse of the pardon power to reward individuals with glaring conflicts of interest. The pardon power was intended to be an instrument of justice, not used to reward wealthy donors, political allies, or business associates. The President’s abuses have created a cash-for-clemency economy, fueled by pardon brokers that advertise special access in exchange for lucrative fees. At the same time, President Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $120 million in restitution owed to victims – rightful compensation they will now never get back.

"The presidential pardon power was intended to be an instrument of justice and mercy, not a tool for rewarding wealthy donors and political allies,” said Rep. Levin. “But under President Trump, we have seen pardon after pardon involving people with significant financial and personal ties to the President and his family. The abuse of this power has gotten completely out of hand, and it’s clear that we need real reform. No one should ever be able to buy a presidential pardon. That is a fundamental standard we must uphold, regardless of who sits in the oval office and what political party they belong to.”

“No President should be able to abuse the pardon power,” said Rep. Crow. “This bill will reform and provide necessary oversight into presidential pardons. We cannot accept a two-tiered system of justice that treats the wealthy and well connected differently than working people.”

The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act would establish critical safeguards to prevent the misuse of the presidential pardon power by:

1. Requiring independent investigations by the Department of Justice Inspector General into pardons involving potential conflicts of interest, including connections to the President, family members, campaign officials, and political appointees.

2. Strengthening transparency and congressional oversight by requiring the Justice Department to turn over relevant prosecution and pardon-related materials to Congress within 30 days of covered pardons.

3. Strengthening federal bribery laws to include the President and Vice President and make it clear that pardons cannot be exchanged for bribes.

4. Prohibiting presidential self-pardons to prevent presidents from attempting to shield themselves from criminal accountability.

5. Requiring financial disclosures from pardon recipients who provide certain gifts or contributions to the President, including contributions to presidential campaigns, presidential libraries, or White House construction projects.

The legislation builds on the work of the End Corruption Caucus, founded earlier this year by Reps. Levin, Crow, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) to root out corruption, save taxpayer dollars, and restore trust in government. Americans have demanded change, and the End Corruption Caucus will continue working to deliver it by ensuring that government works for the people, not personal pocketbooks.

The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act has been endorsed by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), Public Citizen, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

“President Trump’s rampant abuse of the presidential pardon to reward his political allies and business associates is a clear perversion of his executive powers and undermines our democratic system of justice,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “This legislation addresses the corrupt use of pardons by fostering necessary oversight of the pardon process, prohibiting presidential self-pardons and affirming that bribery laws also apply to pardons. CREW is proud to endorse Representatives Crow and Levin’s ‘Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act of 2026’ and urges Congress to pass this legislation without delay.”

“The pardon power is intended as a tool to correct injustice,” said David Janovsky, Acting Director of The Constitution Project at POGO. “The American people deserve confidence that this power is being used as designed, not as a pay-to-play tool to enrich presidents and reward their allies. We applaud this effort to bring much-needed transparency to the process.”

“The Constitution created the power to pardon as a means of mercy, but under President Trump it has become a scheme for shakedowns and a license for lawlessness,” said Jon Golinger, Democracy Advocate at Public Citizen. “The growing mountain of outrageously unjust pardons and commutations granted to money launderers, tax cheats, and perpetrators of fraudulent investment schemes is a slap in the face to their victims and to all law-abiding Americans. The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act will deter secret sleazy pardon scheming by forcing the disclosure and exposure of all financial gifts by pardon recipients to benefit the president who pardoned them out of the shadows and into the light. It also bolsters independent oversight of questionable pardons and strengthens the bribery laws to make it easier to prosecute anyone who tries to illegally buy pardons. Public Citizen strongly supports this bill and urges Congress to pass it and restore the pardon power to a tool to promote justice, not fraud.”

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