Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined with Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Angus King (I-VT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tom Udall (D-NM) in sending a letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), requesting they defund the Department of Justice’s reinstated expansion of civil asset forfeiture practices.

The letter reads, in part:

“Adoptive forfeiture and equitable sharing are particularly egregious elements of civil asset forfeiture because they not only violate due process but also attack principals of federalism. DOJ’s reinstated policy allows state law enforcement officers to circumvent state limitations on civil forfeiture by turning seized property over to federal officials for forfeiture in exchange for up to 80% of the proceeds of the property. This perversely incentivizes local law enforcement to confiscate suspect property even where state laws forbid the practice.”

Sens. Lee, Paul, King, Crapo, Merkley Request Defunding of Civil Asset Forfeiture Expansion by Senator Mike Lee