A new bill targets “crooks” in Congress.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bill that would bar members of Congress from cashing in on their retirement pension if they commit a felony. The bill, which Tillis will introduce on Thursday, follows a report from the Los Angeles Times that said former Rep. Duncan Hunter would collect a congressional pension after pleading guilty to felony charges.
Hunter, a California Republican, resigned this year after pleading guilty to spending more than $250,000 illegally in campaign donations to cover personal expenses, including $704 worth of tickets to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and $1,528 on video game purchases. He could rake in as much as $32,538 per year from his congressional pension, according to estimates from the Los Angeles Times.
Tillis’s bill ensures that members of Congress who commit similar crimes will not have access to the pension Hunter is expected to take home. In a statement, Tillis explained, “Members of Congress who violate the public trust and commit felonies do not deserve to further cheat their constituents by receiving taxpayer-funded pensions.”
He added, “The fact that a disgraced Congressman was recently able to move back his resignation date so he could qualify for another year of eligibility for his pension shows how broken the system is.”
As Tillis noted, Hunter refused to resign until January, despite pleading guilty to the felony charges in December. The move allowed him to qualify for an additional year of eligibility.
Tillis’s bill, which is called the “No Cash for Crooks Act,” would only apply to felonies committed while in office and would not apply to crimes committed before or after a member’s time in office. The legislation adjusts ethics rules to ensure those who conspire to misuse campaign funds, like Hunter, do not take a pension after leaving office.
Hunter, who was also found to be having several affairs with lobbyists and members of his staff, will be sentenced for his crimes on March 17. He faces up to five years in prison.
