A proposed bill by New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill seeks to restrict federal officeholders and candidates facing specific criminal charges from accessing classified information.
This legislation is directly targeted at individuals such as former President Trump and Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey.
A proposed bill by Sherrill, known as the GUARD Act, aims to restrict certain individuals from accessing classified information if they are charged with various criminal offenses such as obstructing an official proceeding, unlawfully retaining classified defense information, or acting as a foreign agent.
The bill spans three pages and targets the president, vice president, members of Congress, and federal candidates.
The legislation does not specifically mention any individuals, but its wording directly applies to two politicians currently facing a combined total of 109 criminal charges. Both individuals have entered pleas of not guilty.
Sherrill made no mention of Menendez in a statement on Thursday, but she did state that she had Trump in mind when drafting the bill.
President Trump is currently facing serious federal charges related to the alleged willful retention of national defense information, corruptly concealing a document or record, as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
Menendez has been charged by federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent and acting as a foreign agent.
These charges align with the criminal offenses outlined in Sherrill’s bill, which would disqualify a federal official from accessing classified information.
In her proposed legislation, she outlines various charges that, if proven, would result in the loss of an officeholder’s or candidate’s access to classified material.
These charges include acting as a foreign agent, obstructing an official proceeding, unlawfully retaining national defense information, or improperly handling classified information.
Presidential nominees from major parties are typically briefed on classified matters in the months leading up to the general election.
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