Findings

It is the sense of Congress that: (1) In the United States, citizens elect civic and political leaders to represent their interests and act on their behalf. (2) In return for being given this sacred trust, public officials are expected to fully adhere to the highest ethical and moral standards, and must discharge their duties faithfully, honestly, and impartially, free from any personal considerations or gain. (3) Public service is a public trust, and the Government only functions when there is trust between the electorate and public officials. (4) When public officials abuse the faith that citizens place in them by committing crimes of dishonesty or moral turpitude, they betray both their office and the public, and deserve heightened punishment. (5) Fraud is, at its core, a crime of dishonesty. (6) Mortgage, bank, credit, and tax frauds require deception and lies, and harm the victim financial institutions, investors, and the broader public. (7) Therefore, public officials who commit these crimes deserve punishments above and beyond what a normal citizen should receive. (8) Such punishment must include mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for any public official to ensure that they cannot abuse their positions of influence to cut sweetheart or backroom deals that the average citizen would be unable to make. (9) If a public official commits multiple frauds, demonstrating a pattern and practice of dishonest, unethical, and illegal behavior, justice demands that the public official should face even harsher mandatory penalties. (10) No person is above the law, and public officials who commit fraud must be held to account. Integrity matters.