WASHINGTON, DC – A leading group of lawmakers say the American people have a right to know which corporations, foreign nationals, and lobbyists are financing the future presidential libraries of sitting U.S. presidents and paying to curry favor with the Commander-in-Chief.

The first U.S. presidential library was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, dedicated on June 30, 1941, in Hyde Park, New York. Since then, U.S. presidents have established libraries for themselves to promote their life and legacies and house archival documents related to their time in office. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) oversees 16 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries.

In the wake of several dubious legal settlements that delivered tens of millions of dollars to President Trump’s future presidential library, along with a $400 million Qatari luxury aircraft “unconditional donation” for Donald Trump’s library use after he leaves office, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) say the funds raise important questions about potential influence-peddling and the complicated relationship between private presidential foundations and NARA.

Unlike donations to presidential campaigns or inaugural committees, there are virtually no restrictions on donations to presidential libraries under current U.S. law.

In an effort to increase transparency and close this loophole allowing for unchecked donations to presidential libraries, Reed and Whitehouse are teaming up with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and several colleagues on the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act (S.2300). This legislation would impose limits on presidential library fundraising while in office; ban the use of library donations for personal expenses; ensure quarterly public disclosures of contributions made while the president is still in office; and prohibit straw donations in someone else’s name.

“Companies like Paramount and Meta and foreign governments like Qatar may be paying off Donald Trump in plain sight — and right now, there are no rules to stop them,” said Senator Warren. “I’m leading the fight to rein in this avenue for corruption. Government should work for the American people, not just whichever giant company or foreign government can dump the most money into the president’s future library.”

“Sitting presidents should not be able to solicit unlimited, undisclosed donations for their libraries from billionaires, foreign nationals, lobbyists, and corporations with pending business before federal agencies that stand to benefit at the public’s expense. This legislation would make commonsense, overdue reforms to ensure that presidents follow clear ethics guidelines and are transparent about where their presidential library gifts comes from and who is footing the bill,” said Senator Reed. “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s a good government issue that would apply to every president, regardless of party. It’s in our nation’s best interest to ensure the American people can ‘follow the money’ while a president is still in office.”

“Donald Trump’s gleeful acceptance of a luxury plane from the Qatari government for supposed eventual use at his yet-to-be presidential library shows the depths of his corruption,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Our legislation would provide greater transparency into who is funding presidential libraries and put safeguards in place that close off this avenue of corruption.”

The Senators note that the public should be informed if the president is taking extravagant financial gifts from an individual or entity and then turning around and directly impacting the donors’ futures -- from mega-merger approvals, to the preservation of the U.S. military base in Qatar, to Big Tech regulation, and more.

Senator Warren recently published an analysis revealing that companies seeking favorable outcomes from the Trump Administration have pledged to funnel at least $63 million into Trump’s future presidential library. Other gifts and in-kind donations — including the luxury Qatari jet, expensive candlelight dinners at Mar-a-Lago, leftover inauguration donations, revenue from sales of Trump-themed merchandise, and more — bring the total value of gifts flowing into Trump’s library to roughly half a billion dollars.

The Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act would:

Ban fundraising while the President is in office, with a carveout for nonprofits: Require that Presidential Libraries wait until the President leaves office before fundraising or accepting donations, except from 501(c)(3) organizations (mirroring the standard adopted by the Obama Foundation).

Establish a contribution cap: For 501(c)(3) organizations that can donate while a president is still in office, limit donations to $10,000 total.

Impose a cooling-off period for donations from foreign nationals, lobbyists, contractors, individuals seeking pardons: For an additional 2 years after the President leaves office, prohibit donations from foreign nationals or foreign governments, registered lobbyists, federal contractors, and individuals seeking presidential pardons.

Ban conversion of donations to personal use: Bar the use of Library donations for personal expenses or unrelated financial obligations.

Mandate quarterly disclosures: During the President’s time in office and for 5 years after, require all donations of $200 or more to be disclosed to the National Archives each calendar quarter. Publish donor information (including name, employer, and date and amount of the donation) online in a searchable, downloadable format.

Prohibit straw donations: Make it illegal to donate in someone else’s name, or to knowingly allow your name to be used for a straw donation.

In addition to Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).

The bill is endorsed by the following: Project On Government Oversight (POGO), Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy Defenders Action (DDA), Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Freedom of the Press Foundation, Public Citizen, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Demand Progress, and American Governance Institute.

“The Presidential Library system was created by FDR to be a gift to the people and posterity – not a grift for a greedy president or a conduit for favor-seekers and influence peddlers. The Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act turns off this firehose of corruption and restores Presidential Libraries to their original mission: to enable the American people to access presidential papers so they can learn from the past and build a better future,” said Jon Golinger, Democracy Advocate at Public Citizen.

“Donations to presidential libraries are the soft belly of political corruption, providing an opportunity for foreign nations and unscrupulous actors to bribe sitting presidents with gifts of unlimited funds for their post-presidential projects. The Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act provides critical limits and accountability to reign in corrupt practices that have besmirched presidents for decades,” said Daniel Schuman, Executive Director of the American Governance Institute.

“Campaign Legal Center (CLC) strongly supports the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act and thanks its sponsors for introducing this vital legislation,” said Erin Chlopak, Senior Director of Campaign Finance at Campaign Legal Center. “Presidential libraries are supposed to be about our nation’s history. However, donations to these institutions are increasingly being used as a loophole for wealthy special interests, corporations, and even foreign governments to seek favor with the president and gain undue influence. Because existing laws that regulate money in politics don’t extend to presidential libraries, new rules are needed to prevent them from becoming another avenue for corruption that undermines trust in our government. CLC urges Congress to pass this legislation and safeguard the integrity of our democracy without delay.”