03/28/2024

Rep. Robert Pittenger

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WASHINGTON – Over $500 million from recent Justice Department legal settlements has been directed as “forced donations” to politically-connected special interest groups, according to a House Judiciary Committee investigation.

 

Today, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) joined House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to support the bipartisan Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act (H.R. 5063), which blocks federal officials from requiring a charitable contribution as part of civil settlements.

 

“Justice Department settlements should punish the wrongdoer and compensate victims, not turn into a politicized version of bowling for dollars,” said Congressman Pittenger.  “The current system unfairly rewards politically-favored organizations while bypassing the accountability and oversight of the people’s elected representatives in Congress.” 

 

The House Judiciary Committee investigation also uncovered the troubling practice of activist organizations lobbying for lucrative “forced donation” requirements, even though those activists were not victims in the civil case.

 

The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act (H.R. 5063) today passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 241-174.

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