Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is renewing her call for increased oversight and accountability into the next presidential inaugural committee. Her Inaugural Committee Transparency Act would increase oversight and public disclosure of how presidential inaugural committees spend the millions of dollars they raise and help prevent the misuse of committee funds.
“The next presidential inauguration will take place one year from now, and we need to have safeguards in place to ensure the American people know who is donating to inaugural committees and how that money is being spent,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It’s past time we close loopholes and help make sure that these committees do not become vehicles for corruption or ‘pay to play’ politics – no matter who the president is. My legislation is an important step to get dark money out of our political system and make future inaugural committees more transparent.”
Senator Cortez Masto first introduced this legislation following reports that President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee—which raised nearly $107 million—misused funds. Specifically, the Inaugural Committee Transparency Act would:
- Require an inaugural committee to disclose to the FEC the name and address of every person to whom any disbursement of $200 or more is made and the purpose of the disbursement;
- Prohibit donations on behalf of another person;
- Prohibit converting donations to personal use; and
- Require that any remaining funds be donated within 90 days of the inaugural ceremony to a 501(c)(3) charity.
The Inaugural Committee Transparency Act is cosponsored by
U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
You can read the full bill text HERE.
Cortez Masto has long championed actions to crack down on dark money in politics. She has cosponsored legislation to require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors and help guard against hidden foreign influence in our democracy.
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