No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act

119th Congress Introduced by Ro Khanna and 1 co-sponsor

Prohibits using campaign contributions or legal defense funds to pay settlements or penalties related to sexual assault, abuse, or harassment.

Introduced in House

Bill Overview

Bill: HR 9961

Session: 119

Jurisdiction: United States

Title: To prohibit the use of campaign contributions or legal defense funds to pay settlements or penalties related to sexual assault, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment claims, and for other purposes

Status: Introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Administration (as of 2026-07-27)

Sponsors: Co-sponsors Anna Luna and Ro Khanna

Purpose and Intent

The primary aim is to close a pathway by which campaign funds or legal defense funds could be used to cover settlements or penalties arising from sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims.

The bill seeks to ensure that campaign financial resources are not used to resolve such claims, thereby promoting accountability and integrity in political financing and legal defense funding.

Key Provisions (as described by the bill’s title and summary)

Prohibition on Use of Funds: Forbid the use of:

Campaign contributions
Legal defense funds

Prohibited Uses Covered: Payments to or on behalf of individuals or entities related to settlements or penalties arising from sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment claims.

Scope of “settlements or penalties”: The prohibition would apply to monetary settlements and penalties that are the subject of such claims.

“And for other purposes”: Indicates the bill may include additional related provisions or clarifications not specified in the brief description.

Who or What Would Be Affected

Political campaigns and candidates that maintain campaign accounts or use campaign funds.

Legal defense funds established to shield or support political actors or campaigns.

Individuals or entities involved in settlements or penalties connected to sexual misconduct claims that would otherwise be funded through campaign or defense funds.

Oversight and compliance mechanisms within the House (and potentially other branches as the bill progresses) to monitor fund usage.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduction: The bill was introduced in the House.

Referral: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration for consideration.

Next steps likely (subject to further actions):

Committee review, including hearings and potential amendments.
Potential House floor consideration, passage, and moves to the Senate (not shown in the current action history).

Key considerations in committee: definitions of applicable funds, enforcement mechanisms, penalties for violations, reporting requirements, and any exemptions or transition provisions.

Potential Impacts and Implications

Financial Integrity: Enhances transparency by ensuring that campaigns cannot covertly or indirectly fund settlements or penalties related to sexual misconduct.

Deterrence: Serves as a deterrent against misallocation of political funds to resolve misconduct-related claims.

Compliance Burden: Candidates and campaign committees may need to implement stricter internal controls and auditing to ensure funds are not used in prohibited ways.

Enforcement: The bill would likely require clear enforcement provisions, including penalties for violations, audit rights, and reporting obligations.

Notes

The provided information reflects the bill’s title and stated purpose; full text would be needed to identify precise definitions, exceptions, enforcement mechanisms, funding impacts, and any related “other purposes” provisions.

As with any bill, the eventual content may evolve during committee debate and floor amendments.