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Congress·In Committee·S. 3874

Senate Bill Would Ban White House from Directing DOJ Investigations, Prosecutions

Prohibiting Political Prosecutions Act of 2026

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov
Part of: Congress Moves to End Politically Motivated Federal Investigations

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill would make it illegal for government lawyers or FBI agents to start an investigation or a court case based on someone's political beliefs or activities. It aims to ensure that the justice system treats everyone the same, regardless of which political party they support or what they believe.
  • Government officials would have to sign a formal statement for every arrest warrant or criminal charge, swearing that they are not targeting the person for political reasons. If an official breaks this rule, the person being investigated could sue that official personally for damages in court.
  • The President and White House staff would be strictly banned from telling the Department of Justice who to investigate or charge with a crime. This is meant to create a wall between the White House and criminal cases to prevent leaders from using the law to target their rivals.
  • The bill changes how grand juries work by requiring prosecutors to show evidence that might prove a person is innocent, not just evidence that makes them look guilty. If a judge finds that a case was started for political reasons, they would have the power to throw the case out entirely.
  • Employees at the Department of Justice and the FBI would be required to report any instances of political bias they see to internal watchdogs. Those watchdogs would then have to share those reports and their findings with Congress within five business days.
Civil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 12, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related Bills

1 bill
H.R. 7575Related bill

Prohibiting Political Prosecutions Act of 2026

Feb 13 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Prohibiting Political Prosecutions Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 3874
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.