[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3848 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3848

To provide for a reporting requirement regarding communications between 
  the Department of Justice and the White House relating to civil and 
            criminal investigations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2007

   Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Conyers, and Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a reporting requirement regarding communications between 
  the Department of Justice and the White House relating to civil and 
            criminal investigations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Security from Political Interference 
in Justice Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``covered communication''--
                    (A) means any communication relating to an ongoing 
                investigation conducted by the Department of Justice in 
                any civil or criminal matter (regardless of whether a 
                civil action or criminal indictment or information has 
                been filed); and
                    (B) does not include any communication relating to 
                policy, appointments, legislation, rulemaking, budgets, 
                public relations, programmatic matters, 
                intergovernmental relations, administrative or 
                personnel matters, appellate litigation, or requests 
                for legal advice;
            (2) the term ``covered Department of Justice officer'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Attorney General;
                    (B) the Deputy Attorney General; and
                    (C) the Associate Attorney General; and
            (3) the term ``covered White House officer'' means--
                    (A) the President;
                    (B) the Vice President;
                    (C) the Counsel to the President; and
                    (D) the Counselor to the President.

SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Department of Justice Report.--Not later than 30 days after 
each January 1 and July 1 of each calendar year, the Attorney General 
shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report 
with the name and title of each officer or employee of the Department 
of Justice who made a covered communication during the 6-month period 
preceding that January 1 or July 1 with any officer or employee of the 
Executive Office of the President. The report need not include any 
covered Department of Justice officer.
    (b) White House Report.--Not later than 30 days after each January 
1 and July 1 of each calendar year, the Counsel to the President shall 
submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report 
with the name and title of each officer or employee of the Executive 
Office of the President who made a covered communication during the 6-
month period preceding that January 1 or July 1 with any officer or 
employee of the Department of Justice. The report need not include any 
covered White House officer.
                                 <all>