Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Introducing The No Payoffs For Pardons Act

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor on the No Payoffs for Pardons Act, which would prevent Trump from abusing his pardon power and bring transparency and accountability to the pardon process. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here.

Justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale.

Today, I'm introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain.

Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons.

Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for graft, for personal profit.

The only thing Trump cares about when granting clemency is how much money you have and where your loyalties lie.

Trump has wiped out the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, and the other crooks convicted of swindling the American people.

The American people always pay the price for Trump's corruption, and pardons are no exception.

Trump's pardons have wiped out nearly two billion dollars in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes.

It's the same old grift: Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself.

In Trump's America, if you have enough money or if you have the president's ear, then you're above the law.

Our bill reaffirms that federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself.

Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency.

We need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them once and for all.

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