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Washington, DC--- Weeks after a Republican congressman resigned after confessing to taking $2.4 million in bribes and with the continuation of a federal investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives instituting tougher penalties for government officials convicted on federal corruption charges.
The New Jersey lawmaker's legislation prevents federal elected officials convicted of a federal corruption-related crime from receiving a federal pension; doubles current recommended jail penalties for persons convicted of federal corruption-related statutes; and prevents lobbyists convicted of a federal corruption-related crime of doing business with the federal government for life.
"It defies reason to allow a government official access to a pension after they've been found guilty of cheating the American taxpayer," Pallone said. "My legislation will broaden federal laws to prevent any convicted official from receiving his or her federal pension."
Under current federal law, governmental officials and Members of Congress are still entitled to their federal pensions if they are convicted of any crime, with the exception of treason, in a federal court. In 1954, Congress passed legislation prohibiting the distribution of federal pensions to federal officers and employees, including Members of Congress, who were convicted of various offences relating to disloyalty. Eight years later, the legislation was amended to only include the loss of pensions for federal officers and employees in instances of disloyalty on issues relating to national security and defense.
On November 28, U.S. Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA) announced he would resign from the House after confessing to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes from a Defense Contractor. Without the passage of this legislation, Cunningham, who served in the House for 15 years, will still have access to both his federal pension and a military pension from his years in the Navy.
Pallone's legislation also targets corrupt lobbyists by preventing them, once they are convicted of a federal corruption-related crime, from ever doing work with the federal government again. Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is now under investigation for defrauding $82 million from Native American along with one of his colleagues Mike Scanlon, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX). Scanlon pleaded guilty last month of being part of a broad conspiracy to provide "things of value, including money, meals, trips and entertainment to federal public officials in return for agreements to perform official acts." Under Pallone's legislation, Scanlon would no longer be able to lobby the federal government. |
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