Magaziner, Ivey Introduce Bill to Prevent Trump from Taking Bribes Through Court Settlements
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner (RI-02) and Glenn Ivey (MD-04) introduced new legislation to prevent President Trump, or any future president, from being able to personally profit from lucrative civil lawsuits while in office.
The Don’t Settle for Bribes Act would bar presidents and their immediate families from suing companies for the purpose of receiving payments under the guise of legal settlements. The bill requires courts to temporarily stay civil proceedings until the end of the president’s term to prevent the president from accepting bribes from companies they regulate.
Since taking office, Donald Trump has personally accepted millions of dollars in legal settlements from largely frivolous lawsuits he filed against major corporations. In December 2024, ABC News paid $15 million to a Trump-related foundation and $1 million in legal fees. Shortly after Trump took office this year, Meta reportedly agreed to pay $25 million to settle a separate lawsuit brought by Trump. CBS and its parent company, Viacom, are currently offering large sums of money to settle ongoing litigation initiated by Trump.
“The President of the United States should not be able to use the powers of the executive branch to pressure companies into massive court settlements that personally benefit him,” said Magaziner.“Our commonsense Don’t Settle for Bribes Act closes a corrupt loophole that President Trump has used to effectively solicit bribes while in office.”
“Presidents should not be allowed to leverage the powers and prestige of their office to obtain lucrative civil settlements inside or outside the courtroom. This commonsense bill would stay all new or ongoing civil lawsuits brought by presidents and major presidential candidates temporarily, so as to ensure our legal system is not exploited for a president’s personal gain during their term in office. I want to thank Congressman Magaziner for his partnership on this legislation,” said Ivey.
The bill aims to close a loophole that allows presidents and their families to benefit financially from “lawfare”, or legal actions used for political or personal gain, while in public office.
Read the full text of the bill here.