Inaugural Fund Integrity Act
The Inaugural Fund Integrity Act would add strong new transparency and fundraising rules for the inaugural committees that run U.S. presidential inaugurations. It would (1) prohibit certain types of donations (no non-individual or foreign-national contributions, and no donor using someone else’s name or converting donations to personal use), (2) cap how much an individual may donate to an inaugural committee (initially $50,000, with automatic inflation-like indexing every presidential election year), (3) require rapid and detailed reporting of large donations and comprehensive post-inauguration reporting of all donations and disbursements, and (4) align the legal status of inaugural committees with FECA and Title 36 requirements, with an effective date applying to inaugurations from 2029 onward. In short, the bill tightens who can fund inaugural committees, how much they can give, and how and when that information must be disclosed, with the aim of reducing undue influence and increasing transparency around inaugural fundraising and spending.
Key Points
- 1Prohibited donations and misuse rules for Inaugural Committees:
- 2- Inaugural Committees may not solicit or receive money from non-individuals, or from foreign nationals.
- 3- Donors may not make donations in someone else’s name, or have a donation made in someone else’s name, and may not convert a donation to personal use.
- 4- Foreign nationals are prohibited from giving or promising to give to an Inaugural Committee.
- 5- Unused funds may still be disbursed to a 501(c)(3) organization; this provision preserves charitable redistribution options.
- 6Donation limitations and indexing:
- 7- An individual may not donate more than $50,000 to an Inaugural Committee.
- 8- The $50,000 limit is adjusted at the start of each Presidential election year (beginning with 2032) by the cumulative percent difference described in the bill, rounded to the nearest $1,000.
- 9Donor and disbursement disclosures (timing and content):
- 10- Donations of $1,000 or more must be reported to the FEC within 24 hours of receipt, including amount, date, and donor’s name and address.
- 11- By 90 days after the Presidential inauguration, the committee must file a final report detailing: all donations of $200 or more (amount, date, donor name/address), total disbursements and categories (operating expenses, loan repayments, refunds/offsets, other disbursements), and for any disbursement over $200, the recipient’s name, date, amount, and purpose (including who received operating funds, loan repayments, refunds, or other disbursements).
- 12Definitions and conforming changes:
- 13- Defines “donation” broadly to include gifts, loans, deposits, and compensation for services; but excludes the value of uncompensated volunteer services.
- 14- Defines “foreign national” as in existing FECA terms.
- 15- Ties the status of an Inaugural Committee to compliance with the new FECA section 325; effectively, an organization must meet these rules to be considered an Inaugural Committee.
- 16- Effective date: applies to inaugurations held in 2029 and later.