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Executive Overreach or Prosecutorial Discretion? Congress Debates 'Slush Funds'

Associated Press

Do federal prosecutors have a slush fund? One Virginia congressman says they do, and he wants to bring an end to it. 

It’s called the Stop Slush Funds Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Roanoke. Basically it would prohibit the Department of Justice from requiring donations to advocacy groups as part of settlement agreements. Goodlatte, who’s chairman of the Judiciary Committee, calls that a slush fund.

“These include the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, whose director calls himself a bank terrorist. Documents show that the groups that benefited from mandatory donation provisions actively lobbied DOJ to include them."

Critics say wait a minute. If money from settlements goes to the Treasury it could go to finance things like interest on the national debt or nuclear weapons instead of going toward whatever was at issue in the lawsuit. Sonia Gill at Public Citizen says the bill is a cynical attack. 

“The proponents of this bill are essentially using it as a bully pulpit to attack what they term so-called activist groups, and I think that’s quite shameful."

The House approved the bill in an overwhelming vote this week, and it’s now on its way to the Senate where Oklahoma Senator James Lankford has already introduced a companion bill. If it does make it out the Senate, the president is already promising a veto. 

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