Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45) and Congressman Max Rose (NY-11) introduced the Transparency in Executive Branch Officials’ Finances Act as part of their continued efforts to root out corruption in Washington by requiring additional accountability and transparency measures for political appointees and direct family members of the President and Vice President.

“This should not be a controversial statement: our government ought to be accountable to everyday Americans and not foreign special interests,” Porter said. “Trust in government is earned, and top officials’ families having foreign business ties erodes that trust. This bill is an important step to crack down on corruption and demonstrate to the American people—with action—that we’re working for them.”

“In order to regain the trust of the American people and root out corruption in Washington, we need real transparency and accountability,” Rose said. “The American people are sick and tired of seeing the family members of federal officials in both parties get rich from foreign business and connections. And while that’s not illegal, the American people have the right to know. This will bring much needed sunlight to the D.C. swamp.”

Porter and Rose’s Transparency in Executive Branch Officials’ Finances Act would expand the existing financial disclosure requirement for all political appointees, such that all appointees, the President, and the Vice President would need to disclose any positions they or any members of their extended families hold with foreign-owned businesses, any intellectual property they own that is protected or enforced by a foreign country, and whether any members of their families have stakes in companies that engage in significant foreign business dealings.

Additionally, to provide the American people full faith that the President, Vice President, and political appointees do not have foreign holdings or income, the legislation would require the President and Vice President to disclose their tax returns for the previous five taxable years and prohibit political appointees from accepting payments from foreign entities.

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