Aiming directly at former President Trump and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill (D) has developed legislation to prevent federal officeholders and candidates who are charged with certain criminal charges from having access to confidential information.
The Guarding United States Against Reckless Disclosures (GUARD) Act, a three-page bill drafted by Sherrill, would prohibit the president, vice president, members of Congress, and federal candidates from receiving classified information if they are accused of acting as a foreign agent, obstructing an official proceeding, or unlawfully retaining classified defense information, among other crimes.
Although the bill doesn’t specifically mention Menendez or Trump, its wording clearly targets the two troubled senators, who together are accused of 109 crimes. They both entered not-guilty pleas.
In a statement released on Thursday, Sherrill stated that she drafted the bill with Trump in mind, but she made no mention of Menendez.
“I have zero tolerance for any betrayal of the public trust, especially when it comes to classified information and our national security,” the former prosecutor and Navy veteran declared.
“For this reason, despite his careless actions and significant criminal charges, I’m very concerned about the recent charges against Donald Trump and his continued desire to access sensitive classified information,” she concluded.
Trump is charged on a federal level with conspiring to defraud the United States, obstructing an official proceeding, willfully retaining material related to national defense, and corruptly hiding a document or record.
Menendez is facing charges from federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York for conspiring to act as a foreign agent and actually acting as a foreign agent. Sherrill’s bill lists both offenses as grounds for barring a federal official from having access to secret material.
“Even if Trump is the Republican nominee for president, nobody has a legal right or obligation to get classified briefings. Sherrill stated, “This legislation is urgent and both parties should consider it as a necessary step to protect intelligence and ensure that sensitive information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.”
According to her bill, an officeholder or candidate who is charged with a crime such as serving as a foreign agent, impeding an official proceeding, unlawfully retaining national security information, or inappropriately managing classified information will lose their access to sensitive material.
It is customary for major party presidential hopefuls to research sensitive topics in the months leading up to the general election.
However, Sherrill’s plan gives Congress the ability to lift penalties against federal officials and candidates who are accused by a two-thirds majority in the Senate and a majority vote in the House.
Additionally, it states that in the event that the charges are dropped or they are found not guilty, the covered individuals would have access to sensitive material again.