Overview
- The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act would ban donations from donors with conflicts of interest, prohibit anonymous gifts, and bar solicitation by the president or vice president.
- The measure requires pre-donation vetting by the National Park Service and Office of Government Ethics, mandates quarterly public disclosures, and imposes a two-year lobbying cooling-off period for donors.
- Enforcement provisions would permit judicial review and empower the Justice Department and state attorneys general to seek civil penalties, disgorgement, and criminal sanctions for violations.
- The bill follows the demolition of the East Wing for a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom the White House estimates at $300 million, with officials saying $350 million has been raised from private donors.
- Oversight inquiries continue as Sen. Richard Blumenthal says only 16 of more than 40 donors have responded to his letters and none disclosed contribution amounts, while the White House defends the donor-funded approach.