Congresswoman Torres Introduces Bribery Accountability and Discovery “BAD Act” to Crack Down on Public Corruption and Close Federal Bribery Loophole

Congresswoman Torres Introduces Bribery Accountability and Discovery "BAD Act" to Crack Down on Public Corruption and Close Federal Bribery Loophole

Washington D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), a member of the Anti-Corruption Caucus, introduced the Bribery Accountability and Discovery (BAD) Act, legislation to close a dangerous loophole in federal law that allows bribery schemes to evade prosecution simply because they remained hidden long enough.

The BAD Act would ensure that the statute of limitations for federal bribery offenses does not begin until the crime is discovered or is reported to federal law enforcement, preventing corrupt public officials and those who bribe them from escaping accountability by concealing their misconduct.

"Bribery isn't committed in broad daylight, it's designed to stay hidden," said Congresswoman Torres. "Corrupt officials and those trying to buy influence should never be rewarded for successfully covering up their crimes. If you abuse the public's trust, you shouldn't be able to run out the clock. The BAD Act makes sure justice starts when corruption is uncovered, not when the deal was made."

Torres has led this fight before. While serving in the California State Legislature, she authored SB 950, which was signed into law in 2014 and closed the same loophole in California's criminal code by ensuring the statute of limitations for all participants in a bribery scheme begins when the offense is discovered. The law strengthened prosecutors' ability to hold bad actors accountable in complex corruption cases that often take years to uncover.

Federal law, however, in most cases gives bribery cases only a five-year statute of limitations beginning on the date the crime occurred, even though bribery schemes are intentionally concealed and may not come to light for years. At the same time, recent Supreme Court decisions have narrowed the scope of federal bribery prosecutions, making it even harder to hold corrupt actors accountable.

The Bribery Accountability and Discovery (BAD) Act closes that gap by amending 18 U.S.C. § 3282 to ensure that, for bribery offenses under 18 U.S.C. §§ 201 and 666, the statute of limitations does not begin until the offense is discovered by, or reported to, a federal law enforcement agency.

"The American people deserve a government that works for them, not for whoever can write the biggest check behind closed doors," Torres added. "This bill is about restoring accountability, protecting public trust, and making sure no one gets away with corruption simply because they were good at hiding it."

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