The Stop Corrupt Trading Act would make it a federal crime for the President or Vice President, or entities they control or substantially own, to sell or exchange nonpublic government information for financial benefit. It also bars any other person from buying, selling, or exchanging such nonpublic information for financial gain. Nonpublic information is broadly defined to include material a covered person learns through their official role that isn't available to the public, such as records normally exempt from disclosure or communications shared selectively rather than broadly. Violators face criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and fines, along with mandatory forfeiture of illicit proceeds, while the Attorney General can also pursue civil penalties, disgorgement, and injunctions using a lower "preponderance of the evidence" standard. Notably, the six-year statute of limitations for civil enforcement pauses while the implicated President or Vice President remains in office, and the Office of Government Ethics is required to refer credible evidence of violations to the Justice Department and notify Congress.
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