Presidential immunity in the United States
U.S. political and legal concept / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A sitting president of the United States enjoys absolute immunity from many lawsuits while in office; it is under legal dispute whether they also enjoy immunity from criminal liability or prosecution.[lower-alpha 1] Neither civil nor criminal immunity is explicitly granted in the Constitution or any federal statute.[1][2]
The Supreme Court of the United States found in Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982) that the president has absolute immunity from civil damages actions regarding conduct within the "outer perimeter" of their duties. However, in Clinton v. Jones (1997), the court ruled against temporary immunity for sitting presidents from suits arising from pre-presidency conduct. Some scholars have suggested an immunity from arrest and criminal prosecution as well, a view which has become the practice of the Department of Justice under a pair of memoranda (1973 and 2000) from the Office of Legal Counsel. Presidents Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump were criminally investigated while in office, but none was prosecuted while in office.[lower-alpha 2] In February 2024, former President Trump claimed absolute immunity from being investigated for any crimes committed while in office. In response to Trump's request, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from the former president on April 25.[5][6]