For Immediate Release
May 23, 2007
Media Contact: Ray Yonkura
(202) 225-2676
Jordan Introduces Anti-Corruption Bill
Washington, DC--Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) this week introduced his first piece of stand-alone legislation as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
H.R. 2438, the Clean Up Government Act of 2007, would increase penalties for public officials convicted of bribery, graft, and similar offenses.
“Government officials must be held to the highest ethical and legal standards,” said Jordan, a member of the House Judiciary Committee. “Strengthening penalties for public corruption crimes will go a long way toward restoring the public’s trust in their government.”
Jordan said that current penalties for corruption crimes committed by public officials are insufficient, citing 2006 sentencing data showing that the mean prison sentence in bribery cases was 39 months. Bribery currently carries a lower maximum sentence than similar offenses such as counterfeiting (20 years), securities fraud (25 years), mail and wire fraud (30 years), and bank fraud (30 years).
The bill increases the maximum prison term in bribery and graft cases from 15 years to 30 years. It also broadens the application of federal fraud statutes to cover “any thing of value” in addition to money or property. This change ensures that intangible assets such as licenses, permits, government grants, and contract rights are within the scope of these statutes.
Jordan was spurred in part by the case of former Deputy Assistant Air Force Secretary Darleen Druyun. In her position as the Air Force’s number-two acquisition officer, Druyun admitted to favoring the Boeing Company in official contract negotiations while at the same time discussing possible future employment with the company. She confessed to agreeing to a highly inflated $20 billion price for 100 tanker planes leased to the government by Boeing, in part as thanks to the company for employing other members of her immediate family. Druyun pled guilty to conspiracy, but was sentenced to only nine months in a minimum security prison and subsequent community service.
Joining Jordan as a sponsor of the bill is Congressman Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), a former county sheriff and fellow first-term member. The bipartisan effort shows that the issue of fighting corruption must be a priority for both parties, Jordan said.
“Congress has already acted to pass legislation revoking the pension benefits of public officials who commit these crimes,” Jordan said. “Now we must take the next important step to ensure that the ‘time fits the crime.’”
