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119-s-3191119th Congress

Stop Ballroom Bribery Act

Sponsored By: Senator Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

Introduced

Summary

Tight limits on donations tied to presidential properties to stop influence and boost transparency. This bill would define covered projects around the White House, Number One Observatory Circle, and other memorials named for national leaders and then tightly restrict who can give, what can be accepted, and how gifts are disclosed and used.

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  • Donors and lobbyists would face clear bars. Gifts are prohibited from people in litigation with the federal government, subjects of enforcement actions, those seeking federal contracts or appointments, people engaging in executive-branch lobbying, and foreign governments without Congressional approval. Donors must disclose meetings with the President, Vice President, their families, or officials from one year before to one year after a donation.
  • The presidential household and public properties would get rules to limit influence. The bill would ban donor recognition on covered sites, forbid converting donations to personal use, stop leftover funds from benefiting specified individuals, and impose a two-year cooling-off period on donor lobbying.
  • Agencies and enforcers would get transparency and penalties. The National Park Service and Office of Government Ethics must sign off before acceptance and publish quarterly reports. Violations could trigger disgorgement, civil fines up to the greater of $20,000 or the donation value and up to $100,000 for larger annual violations, criminal fines and imprisonment up to 1 year or up to 5 years for larger offenses, and a 10-year statute of limitations. OGE would have 180 days to write implementing rules.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Ethics office rulemaking and court review

This bill would require the Office of Government Ethics to publish implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment. The rules must let the Ethics Director order the return of any donation that violates the section at any time. OGE determinations under the section would be subject to judicial review. The U.S. Attorney General or a State attorney general could seek court review of OGE decisions.

New donor disclosure and lobbying ban

This bill would require donors to attest if they are linked to barred persons and to report certain meetings. Donors would have to disclose meetings with the President, Vice President, their spouse or child, or other covered officers from one year before to one year after a donation. Reports for pre-donation meetings would be due within 7 days after the donation. Reports for post-donation meetings would be due within 7 days after the meeting. The National Park Service would publish a quarterly Federal Register report listing accepted donations and naming donors who gave more than $200 in a calendar quarter. Donors would be barred from lobbying executive-branch officials for 2 years after a donation. Executive Office of the President officers and the President's or Vice President's spouse or child could not solicit these donations.

New fines and jail for illegal gifts

This bill would create civil and criminal penalties for violating the donation rules. Civil fines would be up to the greater of $20,000 or the aggregate value of the donations involved. If a person's aggregate donations in a calendar year exceed $50,000, the civil cap could rise to the greater of $100,000 or the donation value. Courts could order disgorgement and injunctions. Knowing and willful violations could bring fines and jail—up to 1 year, or up to 5 years if yearly donations exceed $50,000. The Justice Department or a State attorney general could sue, and cases generally must be brought within 10 years.

Tight rules for President-linked donations

This bill would bar most donations for projects tied to the President or Vice President unless an existing law allows acceptance and the National Park Service and the Office of Government Ethics approve in writing. The approval would have to be sent to two Congressional committees and published in the Federal Register before the gift is used. It would ban anonymous, conditioned, coerced, or straw donations. Donor names, logos, or plaques could not be displayed at covered sites. Remaining donation balances could not be spent to directly benefit the President, Vice President, their spouse or child, Executive Office staff, or presidential appointees.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

MA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 11/18/2025

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 11/18/2025

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 11/18/2025

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 11/18/2025

  • Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 12/8/2025

  • Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 12/8/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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