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119-hr-9961119th Congress

No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act

Sponsored By: Representative Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would bar campaign contributions and related funds from paying legal fees, settlements, judgments, private investigators, or research tied to sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims. It would also require campaigns to publicly report detailed information about any legal expense disbursement connected to those claims.

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  • Covered individuals (candidates and Federal officeholders) would be prohibited from using legal expense funds or campaign contributions to pay legal fees or settlements for such claims. Reimbursement is allowed only if the covered individual is ultimately held not liable, and only in an amount equal to the fees paid.
  • Campaigns and authorized committees would face new limits under the Federal Election Campaign Act by having settlements or judgments in these cases treated as conversion to personal use. The bill also bars using contributions or legal expense funds to hire private investigators or to pay for research meant to embarrass or discredit a person who brought a claim.
  • The public would get more transparency because campaigns must disclose each legal disbursement with the recipient, date, amount, a description of the matter, the specified purpose (for example representation, reimbursement, or settlement), and the name of any person whose legal expenses were paid if not the recipient.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Limits on campaign funds for misconduct

This bill would bar a candidate or Federal officeholder from using legal expense funds or campaign contributions to pay legal fees defending claims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment. It would treat campaign money used to pay settlements or court judgments in such cases as converted to personal use. It would also ban using campaign money or legal funds to pay private investigators or to research embarrassing information about a person who brought a claim. Reimbursement would be allowed only if the covered individual is held not liable, and only equal to the legal fees the individual paid. These rules would apply on enactment and would cover payments made after the date two years before enactment.

More reporting on campaign legal payments

This bill would require extra disclosure whenever a campaign or related fund makes a legal disbursement. Filers would report the payee name, date, and amount. They would also give a short description of the legal matter and say whether the payment was for representation, reimbursement, a settlement, satisfaction of a judgment, or another specified purpose. If the payment covered someone other than the recipient, the filer would name that person. These expanded reporting rules would take effect on enactment.

Who counts as a covered individual

This bill would define key terms by referring to the Federal Election Campaign Act. It would use FECA section 301 meanings for authorized committee, candidate, contribution, and Federal office. It would define a "covered individual" as a candidate for Federal office or someone who holds Federal office. These definitions would take effect on enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 7/27/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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