II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1915 

To require the recording and reporting of communications between the Department of Justice and the White House relating to civil and criminal 

investigations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Ms. HARRIS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require the recording and reporting of communications 

between the Department of Justice and the White House 

relating to civil and criminal investigations, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Security from Political 

5 Interference in Justice Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 


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•S 1915 IS

1 (1) the term ‘‘communications log’’ means the 

2 log required to be maintained under section 3(a); 

3 (2) the term ‘‘covered communication’’— 

4 (A) means any communication relating to 

5 an ongoing investigation conducted by the De6 partment of Justice in any civil or criminal 

7 matter (regardless of whether a civil action or 

8 criminal indictment or information has been 

9 filed); and 

10 (B) does not include a communication 

11 that— 

12 (i) relates solely to policy, appoint13 ments, legislation, rulemaking, budgets, 

14 public relations, programmatic matters, 

15 intergovernmental relations, administrative 

16 or personnel matters, appellate litigation, 

17 or requests for legal advice; and 

18 (ii) does not relate to an ongoing in19 vestigation described in subparagraph (A); 

20 and 

21 (3) the term ‘‘investigative office’’ means— 

22 (A) the Office of the Inspector General of 

23 the Department of Justice; and 

24 (B) the Office of Professional Responsi25 bility of the Department of Justice. 


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1 SEC. 3. COMMUNICATIONS LOGS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Counsel to the President and 

3 the Attorney General shall each maintain a log of any cov4 ered communication between— 

5 (1) an officer or employee of the Department of 

6 Justice; and 

7 (2) an officer or employee of the Executive Of8 fice of the President. 

9 (b) CONTENTS.—A communications log shall include, 

10 with respect to a covered communication— 

11 (1) the name and title of each officer or em12 ployee of the Department of Justice or the Executive 

13 Office of the President who participated in the cov14 ered communication; 

15 (2) the topic of the covered communication; and 

16 (3) a statement describing the purpose and ne17 cessity of the covered communication. 

18 (c) OVERSIGHT.— 

19 (1) PERIODIC DISCLOSURE OF LOGS.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara21 graph (B), not later than January 30 and July 

22 30 of each year, the Attorney General shall sub23 mit to Congress and each investigative office a 

24 report containing the communications log for 

25 the 6-month period preceding that January or 

26 July. 


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1 (B) RECORDS OF CERTAIN COMMUNICA2 TIONS.— 

3 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney Gen4 eral shall exclude from the report sub5 mitted to Congress under subparagraph 

6 (A) any record of a covered communication 

7 in which any of the following officials par8 ticipated: 

9 (I) The President. 

10 (II) The Vice President. 

11 (III) The Counsel to the Presi12 dent. 

13 (IV) The Counselor to the Presi14 dent. 

15 (V) The Attorney General. 

16 (VI) The Deputy Attorney Gen17 eral. 

18 (VII) The Associate Attorney 

19 General. 

20 (ii) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The 

21 exclusion of certain records under clause 

22 (i) from the report to Congress under sub23 paragraph (A) shall not be construed to— 

24 (I) exclude those records from 

25 the report to the investigative offices 


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1 under subparagraph (A) or the review 

2 and notice requirements under para3 graph (2); or 

4 (II) protect those records from 

5 congressional subpoena. 

6 (2) NOTICE OF INAPPROPRIATE OR IMPROPER

7 COMMUNICATIONS.—The head of an investigative of8 fice shall— 

9 (A) review each communications log re10 ceived under paragraph (1)(A); and 

11 (B) notify Congress if the office head de12 termines that a covered communication de13 scribed in the communications log— 

14 (i) is inappropriate from a law en15 forcement perspective; or 

16 (ii) raises concerns about improper 

17 political interference. 

Æ 


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