The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act would prohibit donations for White House and Vice President's residence projects, events, and monuments to living presidents or vice presidents if the donors have certain conflicts of interest. Specifically, donations cannot come from people involved in lawsuits with the federal government, seeking federal contracts or grants, engaged in lobbying, requesting presidential pardons, or asking for federal appointments. The bill requires the National Park Service Director and Director of the Office of Government Ethics to approve any donations in writing, publish approvals in the Federal Register, and issue quarterly public reports listing all donations and donors contributing over $200. Donations also cannot include conditions offering federal benefits, and donors must disclose all meetings with the president, vice president, or their staff from one year before to one year after the donation. The bill prohibits displaying donor names or logos, bars donors from lobbying for two years after donating, and forbids anonymous or "straw" donations made in another person's name. Violations carry civil penalties up to $100,000 or the donation amount for larger violations, plus criminal penalties of up to five years in prison for knowing violations exceeding $50,000.
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