---
title: "Bill Aims to Prevent Pardon Abuse in Trump Administration"
url: https://newscentral.site/bill-aims-to-prevent-pardon-abuse-in-trump-administration/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Politics"
published: 2026-11-11T17:36:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-11T19:41:51.639Z
id: cf0454fc-e711-48b1-8b4a-31c3804ec670
source: "CBS News Politics https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-congress-trump-pardon-industrial-complex/"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/bill-aims-to-prevent-pardon-abuse-in-trump-administration/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Bill Aims to Prevent Pardon Abuse in Trump Administration

A bill introduced by Congressional Democrats seeks to prevent potential conflicts of interest and favors for President Trump's allies and donors through the pardon process.

Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill aimed at tackling what they call the pardon industrial complex - a system where wealthy individuals can allegedly purchase pardons for themselves or others. The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act seeks to prevent acts of clemency that raise potential conflicts of interest or involve favors for President Trump's allies and donors.

According to Rep. Mike Levin, one of the bill's co-authors, America has become a place where "you literally, for the highest dollar amount, can go and buy a pardon". This assertion suggests that the pardon process has been compromised by financial influence. The Founders' original intention was not for pardons to be bought or sold, Levin emphasized.

The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act is unlikely to pass without facing Mr. Trump's veto, but its introduction offers insight into how Democrats plan to utilize their new majorities in Congress to scrutinize President Trump's use of the pardon power.

Wealthy defendants have been using lobbyists and lawyers tied to President Trump to influence their pardon cases at the White House. According to data, nearly 70% of his second-term clemency actions have bypassed the Justice Department's pardon office, a figure that rises to 92% when including January. This has led lawmakers to scrutinize the president's use of the pardon power.

The bill proposed by Democrats would direct the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate pardons that raise potential conflicts of interest. As examples of such cases, lawmakers pointed to President Trump's pardon of Changpeng Zhao, a cryptocurrency founder who pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program.

The White House has maintained that its pardon review process is robust and includes input from various officials, including White House counsel, the Justice Department, and "pardon czar Alice Johnson. However, reports have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, such as the case of Alina Habba Mildon, a former Justice Department adviser who struck a deal with the family of a Venezuelan billionaire just before he was pardoned.

The proposed legislation aims to curb potential abuse of presidential pardons by introducing stricter guidelines and accountability measures. Specifically, it would clarify that the president and vice president can be held liable for trading pardons in exchange for something of value.

In addition to these provisions, the bill would also require individuals receiving pardons to disclose any gifts they receive related to presidential projects, such as libraries or White House facilities.

The proposed ban on self-pardons is another key aspect of the legislation, which has sparked debate about its implications.

The proposed legislation aims to curb what some have dubbed the pardon industrial complex", a phenomenon where presidential pardons are granted in exchange for personal or financial gain.

Supporters of the ban argue that it will help prevent abuse of the pardon power, while critics warn of unintended constitutional consequences and potential backlashes on future administrations.

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Source: [CBS News Politics](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-congress-trump-pardon-industrial-complex/)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/bill-aims-to-prevent-pardon-abuse-in-trump-administration/