The 'Don't Settle for Bribes Act' Grants Automatic Immunity from Civil Lawsuits to President and Family Until Term Ends

The “Don’t Settle for Bribes Act of 2025” mandates a sweeping, automatic pause on all civil lawsuits—yes, all of them—filed against anyone running for President, the President-elect, or the sitting President. This isn't a maybe; the court must put the case on hold until that person’s time in office is over (Section 2).

Putting the President’s Family on Ice

Think this only applies to the person with the big title? Nope. The bill extends this automatic legal timeout to the President’s immediate family—defined as the spouse and children (Section 6). Even more broadly, if the President or their immediate family are listed as the people setting up or benefiting from a trust or fund (the grantor or beneficiary), any business or entity tied to that fund also gets the same immunity shield from civil court (Section 3). For example, if a President’s child is sued over a contract dispute related to a family business where the President is a beneficiary, that lawsuit also hits the pause button the moment the President takes office.

The Legal Clock Stops Ticking

Crucially, this bill doesn't just pause the case; it pauses the clock on the statute of limitations (Section 4). The statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. If a case is paused under this Act, the deadline for filing that claim stops running immediately and won't restart until the person is out of office. This means that someone who was harmed and was preparing to sue could have their legal window extended by four or even eight years, creating a massive backlog of civil claims that can only move forward once the individual is no longer protected. For the average person seeking timely justice, this is a significant delay.

The Real-World Cost of the Shield

While the stated goal might be to let the executive focus on their job without the distraction of civil lawsuits, the practical effect is to grant the President, their spouse, children, and associated businesses immunity from civil accountability for years. Imagine you are a small business owner who successfully sued the President’s company for breach of contract before the election. The moment the President is inaugurated, your court victory—and your ability to collect damages—is immediately frozen until the end of their term. The bill explicitly preserves the President's right to sue others and the government’s right to litigate (Section 5), but it takes away the public's right to sue them, creating a one-sided legal shield that favors the highest office.