{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://jasonlewis.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=116", "Lewis stands up for your Fifth Amendment rights", "2017-11-07", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "MN", "Jason Lewis", "L000587", "jasonlewis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Jason Lewis (MN-02) issued the following statement after joining a bipartisan group of his colleagues in the House in calling on the Appropriations Committee to curb civil asset forfeiture.\r\n\u201cOne of the foundational principles of our democracy is due process- the right to keep your own property unless the legal system fairly determines otherwise. When government unfairly infringes on your life, liberty, or property, that\u2019s an unacceptable abuse of power.\r\n\u201cSadly there have been far too many examples of innocent Americans being deprived of their own money or property without any just cause shown, without criminal conviction, and without even having criminal charges filed. We should never be incentivizing the unlawful taking of property; that\u2019s why I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues today to call on the Justice Department to ensure that your rights are respected at all times.\u201d\r\nBackground from Lewis\u2019 letter to the Appropriations Committee: A federally adopted forfeiture occurs when a state or local law enforcement agency seizes property allegedly tied to a criminal act and requests a federal agency take the seized asset and forfeit it under federal law. \u00a0In 2015, then-Attorney General Eric Holder imposed certain limits on adoptive forfeiture. \u00a0Regrettably, the Department of Justice reversed this policy in July and announced an expansion of the civil asset forfeiture program.\u00a0\r\n24 States and the District of Columbia have adopted reforms to their forfeiture laws. The Department of Justice\u2019s reinstatement of adoptive forfeiture undermines these State laws and continues to threaten the due process rights of innocent Americans.\r\nOur nation was founded on the principles of due process and property rights. Lewis and his colleagues requested the inclusion of language in appropriations legislation that prevents the reinstatement of adoptive forfeiture to protect innocent Americans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://jasonlewis.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=116"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9210971184074879, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}