Bill · H.R. 9961· House(119-HR-9961)
No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act
- Introduced
- 7/27/2026
- Last activity
- 7/27/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- Sponsored by
- Ro Khanna
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act" aims to stop people running for or holding federal office from using campaign contributions or legal defense funds to pay for certain legal issues. Specifically, it prohibits using these funds to pay for legal fees, settlements, or court-ordered judgments related to claims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment. It also bans using these funds to pay private investigators or conduct research to find negative information about people who bring such claims. The bill includes a provision for retroactive application for payments occurring up to two years prior to enactment. Additionally, it mandates stricter reporting requirements for disbursements related to legal expenses.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+6
The bill mandates stricter reporting requirements for disbursements related to legal fees, including the purpose and recipient.
Would women be better off under this?+5
By banning the use of campaign funds for retaliatory research or investigations into claimants, the bill offers better protection for women reporting sexual misconduct.
Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated?+5
The bill provides protections against the misuse of funds to investigate or suppress victims of sexual harassment and assault.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Funds from Misuse: A covered individual may not use funds from a legal expense fund or contributions to an authorized committee to pay legal fees related to defending against claims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Prevention of Settlement Use: Contributions or donations are considered converted to personal use if used to pay a settlement or court-ordered judgment related to a claim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Ban on Investigating Claimants: Funds cannot be used to pay a private investigator to investigate a person who has brought a claim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, nor for research to find embarrassing or negative information about such a person (Section 2(c)(1) and Section 2(c)(2)).
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Increased Transparency: The bill adds requirements for disbursements regarding legal fees, including the name of the recipient, the date, the amount, a description of the legal matter, and the purpose of the disbursement (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Legal Defense: A covered individual is prohibited from using campaign contributions or legal expense funds to pay legal fees for defending against specific sexual misconduct claims, unless they are ultimately held not liable (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Financial Risk for Officials: While reimbursement is allowed if the individual is held not liable, the bill initially prohibits the use of these funds for the defense itself (Section 2(a)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Women+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Gender Equality+5
- 7/27/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Anna Paulina LunaRepublican · Florida