Bipartisan group targets taxpayer-funded pensions of lawmakers found guilty of ethics violations

EXCLUSIVE — A group of bipartisan lawmakers will introduce legislation Friday to strip members of their taxpayer-funded pensions if an ethics committee investigation finds substantial reason to believe they committed a violation.The bill comes during a tumultuous Congress in which a slew of scandals have plagued Capitol Hill.The legislation, introduced by Reps. Zach Nunn (R-IA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Young Kim (R-CA), and Angie Craig (D-MN), would strip members who are expelled or resign following an ethics committee investigation of their pension. The bill expands on legislation previously introduced by Nunn, Craig, and Pappas in 2023, which would bar expelled members from receiving a pension. That bill never became law. The bill introduced Friday comes in response to Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned when the House Ethics Committee found her guilty of campaign finance violations.Nunn said he wants to close two loopholes his previous legislation did not address. First, ongoing ethics investigation records would be preserved if a member resigns. Members would also not receive pensions if they resign after the committee found an ethics violation.“I first introduced this bill after George Santos was expelled, because members found unfit to serve are also unfit to receive a taxpayer-funded pension,” Nunn said. “Since then, we’ve seen members resign in the middle of investigations into serious misconduct, exposing a serious loophole in the current system where resignation is the end of accountability. This bipartisan bill closes both loopholes, restoring accountability and ensuring taxpayers aren’t on the hook for the pensions of politicians who break the public trust.”Under current rules, members of Congress who resign are allowed to keep the perks and privileges afforded to a former member of Congress, even if a finalized ethics committee report finds guilt. The most significant of those perks is a taxpayer-funded pension.The Congressional Pension Accountability Act would forfeit members’ pensions not only when they are expelled, but when they resign after the House or Senate ethics committee has determined there is reason to believe they committed a serious violation.The bill would also preserve ethics investigation records when a member resigns while under investigation, allowing the documents to be available if the former member tries to make a return. Cherfilus-McCormick made another run after resigning but lost in the primary. The preservation would apply to former members such as California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, who were both accused of sexual misconduct and resigned this Congress amid House Ethics Committee investigations.The legislation would clarify that a presidential pardon or commutation does not restore the benefits.“Members of Congress whose behavior rises to the high bar set for expulsion, particularly those who have been found to have defrauded their constituents and abused the privileges of their office, shouldn’t be able to retire on the taxpayer’s dime,” Pappas said. “Our government must always be accountable to the people.”JEFFRIES OPEN TO CHANGING CAPITOL RULES SO LAWMAKERS CAN WEAR SNEAKERS IN THE SPEAKER’S LOBBYSince 1946, lawmakers with at least five years in office or other federal service can qualify for a taxpayer-funded pension.New York Republican George Santos was the last person to be expelled from the House in 2023 by his colleagues following a slew of federal charges and was later sentenced to serve nearly seven years in prison. He was released after about three months when President Donald Trump pardoned. He does not qualify for a pension since he did not reach five years of service.