HR 4412 · 97th Congress · Law

A bill to restore rights accorded private citizens against slander and libel to public officials and candidates for public office.

Introduced 1981-08-04· Sponsored by Rep. Whitten, Jamie L. [D-MS-1]· House

Bill Progress

Introduced
2
Committee
3
House Vote
4
Senate
5
Enacted
Latest: Referred to Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights.(1981-08-18)

Plain Language Summary

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Grants to public officials and candidates for public office all rights of recovery accorded to private citizens against slander and libel. Stipulates that malice shall be implied whenever the current criminal offense of corrupting a public official has been committed. Provides that such right of recovery shall be against political action committees or other groups which substantially contribute to the slanderous or libelous actions but shall not apply to bona fide news media acting in good faith.…

Summarized by Claude AI · Non-partisan · For informational purposes only