WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Special Counsel Integrity Act, bipartisan legislation that supports the integrity of independent investigations by allowing judicial review if a special counsel is removed.
In the event that a special counsel is removed, the Coons-Tillis legislation allows the special counsel to challenge the removal in court, which would be heard and determined by a panel of 3 federal judges within 14 days of the filing of the action. The panel of judges would determine whether or not there was good cause for the removal of the special counsel. In the event that the panel of judges finds there was no good cause for the removal, the individual would be immediately reinstated as special counsel.
Other provisions of the Special Counsel Integrity Act:
“Our constitutional order depends on a system of checks and balances, grounded in the fundamental premise that no one is above the law,” said Senator Coons. “Ensuring that the special counsel cannot be removed improperly is critical to the integrity of his investigation. I am proud to partner with Senator Tillis on this bipartisan bill to safeguard our democracy.”
“It is critical that special counsels have the independence and resources they need to lead investigations,” said Senator Tillis. “A back-end judicial review process to prevent unmerited removals of special counsels not only helps to ensure their investigatory independence, but also reaffirms our nation’s system of check and balances.”
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