This bill aims to prevent federal candidates and officeholders from using campaign funds or legal defense funds for matters related to sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims. Specifically, it prohibits the use of these funds to pay for legal fees incurred while defending against such claims, though reimbursement is permitted if the individual is ultimately found not liable. The legislation also explicitly forbids using campaign contributions or legal expense funds to cover settlements or court-ordered judgments arising from these types of allegations. Furthermore, the bill expands the definition of "personal use" for campaign contributions to include payments for private investigators or opposition research intended to discredit individuals who have brought sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims. Similar prohibitions apply to legal expense funds, ensuring these resources cannot be used to investigate or gather negative information about accusers. These restrictions apply retroactively to payments made up to two years before the act's enactment. To enhance transparency, the bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to impose new reporting requirements for legal expenses. Authorized committees must now disclose detailed information for any legal fee, service, or expense disbursement, including the recipient's name, date, amount, and a brief description of the legal matter's purpose. This includes specifying whether the disbursement was for legal representation, reimbursement, settlement, or judgment, and identifying whose legal expenses were covered.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act
USA119th CongressHR-9961| House
| Updated: 7/27/2026
This bill aims to prevent federal candidates and officeholders from using campaign funds or legal defense funds for matters related to sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims. Specifically, it prohibits the use of these funds to pay for legal fees incurred while defending against such claims, though reimbursement is permitted if the individual is ultimately found not liable. The legislation also explicitly forbids using campaign contributions or legal expense funds to cover settlements or court-ordered judgments arising from these types of allegations. Furthermore, the bill expands the definition of "personal use" for campaign contributions to include payments for private investigators or opposition research intended to discredit individuals who have brought sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims. Similar prohibitions apply to legal expense funds, ensuring these resources cannot be used to investigate or gather negative information about accusers. These restrictions apply retroactively to payments made up to two years before the act's enactment. To enhance transparency, the bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to impose new reporting requirements for legal expenses. Authorized committees must now disclose detailed information for any legal fee, service, or expense disbursement, including the recipient's name, date, amount, and a brief description of the legal matter's purpose. This includes specifying whether the disbursement was for legal representation, reimbursement, settlement, or judgment, and identifying whose legal expenses were covered.