Restore Trust in Government Act

The "Restore Trust in Government Act" aims to prevent conflicts of interest by prohibiting certain federal officials and their families from owning or trading specific investments. This legislation applies to Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, and their spouses and dependent children , as well as trustees of trusts in which these individuals hold a beneficial interest. The bill broadly defines "covered investments" to include securities, commodities, futures, and comparable economic interests , but it explicitly excludes widely held diversified investment funds, U.S. Treasury and municipal bonds, and interests in small business concerns. Compensation received by a spouse or dependent child from their employer is also exempt from these restrictions. Covered individuals must divest any existing covered investments within 180 days of the bill's enactment, or 90 days of becoming a covered individual, with tax benefits available through a certificate of divestiture. An occupational exception allows spouses or dependent children to trade if it's part of their primary job and the investment is not owned by a covered individual. Special provisions address trusts, requiring divestment of covered investments held in qualified blind trusts, while allowing exemptions for family trusts under strict conditions. Assets acquired through non-purchase means, such as inheritance, must also be divested within 90 days. Violations incur a fee equal to ten percent of the investment's value and disgorgement of all profits , which cannot be paid using official allowances or campaign contributions. Supervising ethics offices must publish details of all assessed fines and their justifications on a publicly available website, ensuring transparency.