Honest Services Fraud Improvement Act

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Lets citizens sue government officials who commit honest services fraud

This bill would let everyday citizens sue government officials they believe have committed honest services fraud. Currently, only criminal charges address this type of fraud, but this bill would create a new way for people to seek justice and recover damages directly from officials.

What Would Change

Today, United States citizens cannot directly sue government officials in civil court for 'honest services fraud,' which is mainly handled through criminal charges. If this bill becomes law, qualified citizens would gain a new legal right. They could bring civil lawsuits against government officials for this type of fraud. They could potentially recover compensatory damages, three times the value of any bribe, and their legal expenses.

Key Provisions

Creates a new way for qualified citizens to sue government officials for honest services fraud.
Defines 'government official' and 'qualified plaintiff' for these lawsuits.
Awards winning plaintiffs compensatory damages and three times the value of any bribe, with punitive damages going to the Department of Justice.
Requires liable officials to pay the winning plaintiff's reasonable expenses and attorney's fees.
Sets a one-year deadline for citizens to file a lawsuit after discovering the alleged fraud, but in no case later than the last date a criminal charge could be filed.
Establishes a process where the government reviews complaints privately and can pursue criminal charges first, dismissing the civil suit if they do.

View on Congress.gov

S 5511 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10

Honest Services Fraud Improvement Act

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity