Trump Signs Order Preventing Americans From Getting Prosecuted for Crimes They Didn’t Know Existed

Editor’s note: President Donald Trump signed the executive order Friday after publication of this article.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday discouraging criminal enforcement against those who violate regulations they don’t know exist, the White House confirmed to The Daily Signal.

The order prioritizes prosecutions only for those who knowingly violate regulations and cause significant harm.

The order is the product of the president’s belief that the United States is drastically overregulated. As a result, the Trump administration is taking action to protect Americans from unjust criminalization, the White House says.

Trump requires each agency to provide to the Office of Management and Budget a list of all enforceable criminal regulatory offenses, the range of potential criminal penalties, and applicable state of mind required for liability.

Agencies must post these reports publicly and update them annually.

Under the order, criminal enforcement of offenses not publicly posted will be strongly discouraged. Attorney General Pam Bondi must consider the amount of public notice provided regarding an offense before pursuing investigations or charges.

The order does not apply to immigration law enforcement or national security functions.

The order is one of many Trump administration efforts to cut bureaucracy, slash regulations, and “drain the swamp.”

Other examples include the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency, buyout programs to encourage federal employees to leave voluntarily, and the 10-to-1 deregulation initiative, which ensures every “new rule, regulation or guidance an agency implements requires them to identify at least 10 to be repealed.”

On May 9, Trump will also sign orders unleashing commercial fishing in the Atlantic and rescinding water pressure standards.

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