Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5) reintroduced her first piece of legislation, the Inaugural Fund Integrity Act (IFIA), which will establish limits on donations to inaugural committees, and require donations and disbursements to be disclosed.

“The lack of oversight of inaugural committees has raised the specter of quid pro quo deals currently being investigated with this administration,” said Congresswoman Scanlon. “In an effort to restore faith in our democratic institutions, we need to write the ethical norms circumvented by this administration into law. I believe the Inaugural Fund Integrity Act is a critical component in our path towards a government that works for the people.”

The Inaugural Fund Integrity Act (IFIA), which has been adopted into H.R.1, the For the People Act, will correct several loopholes in the current Inaugural Committee structure, which allows for abuse of funds. The IFIA will:

1. Prohibit donations to inaugural funds from foreign nationals or corporations. It also bans so called “straw” donors, in which donations are directed through shell entities to hide their true origin. IFIA further places a $50,000 cap on any donation to an inaugural committee.
2. Banning Personal Use of Inaugural Funds. Under IFIA, inaugural funds can only be used for their legitimate government purpose:  to plan and celebrate an inauguration.
3. Requires disclosure of all donations and disbursements.  IFIA forces an inaugural committee to file a report with the Federal Elections Committee disclosing information about all donations received and disbursements made.

“Congresswoman Scanlon has been a vital partner in developing H.R. 1, the For the People Act – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to clean up Washington and return to government of, by and for the people,” said Congressman John Sarbanes, the lead author of H.R. 1 and Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force. “Her leadership on reform issues – especially when it comes to increasing the transparency of Presidential Inaugural fundraising and cracking down on foreign influence peddling – is a key reason why we’ve been able to present the American people with such a robust and sweeping set of reforms to end the dominance of big money in politics, ensure clean and fair elections and make sure that public servants put the public’s interests ahead of special interests.”

Congresswoman Scanlon was sworn into the 116^th Congress on January 3, 2019. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and is a member of the House Rules Committee.

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