CORRUPT Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1524 To require annual reports on funds expended by the Federal Government with the Trump Organization, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 5, 2019 Mr. GALLEGO (for himself, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. COHEN, Ms. JAYAPAL, and Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To require annual reports on funds expended by the Federal Government with the Trump Organization, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Curb Objectionable 4 Redirection of Resources and Unconstitutional Payments 5 to Trump Act’’ or the ‘‘CORRUPT Act’’. 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 7 Congress finds the following: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1524 IH (1) Kleptocracy is a tool used by autocratic 1 leaders, including Vladimir Putin, to exploit state re- 2 sources; it involves the operation of sophisticated 3 networks for the purpose of self-enrichment. 4 (2) Unlike prior presidents, President Trump 5 has refused to sell his business interests or divest 6 himself of assets that present potential conflicts of 7 interest. 8 (3) Article I of the Constitution states that ‘‘no 9 Person holding any office of profit or trust under 10 them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, ac- 11 cept any present, emolument, office, or title, of any 12 kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign 13 State’’. 14 (4) Foreign governments and foreign-held com- 15 panies have already shifted business to the Presi- 16 dent’s companies in order to curry favor with the 17 Administration. 18 (5) According to reports, the Trump Inter- 19 national Hotel has generated at least $19,700,000 in 20 income for the President between September 2016 21 and April 2017. 22 (6) The National Security Council and State 23 Department have allegedly used taxpayers’ money to 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1524 IH pay for staff to stay at Trump hotels and resorts, 1 thereby benefitting the President. 2 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 3 It is the sense of Congress that— 4 (1) kleptocrats such as Vladimir Putin pose a 5 threat to United States national security by under- 6 mining financial and Government institutions; 7 (2) the United States must take all steps nec- 8 essary to defend itself against kleptocratic practices; 9 and 10 (3) Federal funds should not be expended in a 11 manner that enriches the President or any of his 12 close relatives or associates. 13 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 14 (a) AGENCY REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after 15 the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each 16 agency shall submit to the Office of Government Ethics 17 a report on the amount expended by that agency in fiscal 18 years 2017 and 2018 at, or any payments made to, any 19 covered property and shall include— 20 (1) any hotel stay using per diem or other 21 funds; or 22 (2) the rental of any conference room or meet- 23 ing facility. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1524 IH (b) OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS REPORT.— 1 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 2 of this Act, the Office of Government Ethics shall submit 3 to Congress a comprehensive report on funds expended by 4 any agency at, or any payments made to, a covered prop- 5 erty in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. 6 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—At the end of the next fiscal 7 year following the date of the enactment of this Act, and 8 at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, the Director of 9 the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to 10 Congress a report on the direct and indirect ways that 11 funds appropriated to agencies have benefitted a covered 12 property, including— 13 (1) funds expended by any agency at, or any 14 payments made to, a covered property in the pre- 15 vious fiscal year; 16 (2) regulatory actions in the previous fiscal year 17 with a beneficial impact on a covered property; and 18 (3) indirect expenditures with vendors con- 19 ducting more than $1,000,000 in business with a 20 covered individual or with the owners of a covered 21 property in the previous fiscal year. 22 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 23 In this Act: 24 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1524 IH (A) has the meaning given the term— 1 (i) ‘‘Executive agency’’ under section 2 105 of title 5, United States Code; and 3 (ii) ‘‘military department’’ under sec- 4 tion 102 of title 5, United States Code; 5 and 6 (B) means— 7 (i) any other establishment in the ex- 8 ecutive branch (including the Executive Of- 9 fice of the President, the United States 10 Postal Service, and the Postal Regulatory 11 Commission); 12 (ii) an office, agency, or other estab- 13 lishment in the legislative branch; and 14 (iii) an office, agency, or other estab- 15 lishment in the judicial branch. 16 (2) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered 17 individual’’ means— 18 (A) the President; 19 (B) a relative of the President; and 20 (C) with respect to an agency that is an 21 Executive department, the head of the Execu- 22 tive department. 23 (3) COVERED PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘covered 24 property’’ means— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1524 IH (A) any property controlled by the Trump 1 Organization; or 2 (B) an organization or business controlled 3 by or associated with a covered person (includ- 4 ing any known shell company), any member of 5 the President’s family, or any employee of the 6 Trump Organization. 7 (4) EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Ex- 8 ecutive department’’ has the meaning given the term 9 in section 101 of title 5, United States Code. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1524.IH H1524 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS