I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 658 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit criminal 
corporations from making disbursements of funds in connection with 
a campaign for election for Federal, State, or local office. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 24, 2017 
Mr. ELLISON (for himself and Mr. SWALWELL of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
prohibit criminal corporations from making disburse-
ments of funds in connection with a campaign for elec-
tion for Federal, State, or local office. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Democracy 
From Criminal Corporations Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Feb 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H658.IH
H658
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING POLITICAL SPENDING BY CRIMINAL 
CORPORATIONS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Title III of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 325. PROHIBITING POLITICAL SPENDING BY CRIMI-
NAL CORPORATIONS. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To the extent that corpora-
tions are permitted under law to make a disburse-
ment of funds in connection with a campaign for 
election for Federal, State, or local office, including 
a disbursement consisting of a contribution or dona-
tion of money or other thing of value, an inde-
pendent expenditure, or a disbursement for an elec-
tioneering communication (as defined in section 
304(f)(3)), it shall be unlawful for a corporation 
which is a criminal corporation, or for any separate 
segregated 
fund 
established 
under 
section 
316(b)(2)(C) by a criminal corporation, to make 
such a disbursement during the applicable period de-
scribed in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
PERIOD
DESCRIBED.—In 
paragraph (1), the ‘applicable period’ with respect to 
a criminal corporation is the 6-year period which be-
gins— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Feb 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H658.IH
H658
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) in the case of a criminal corporation 
described in paragraph (1) of subsection (b), on 
the date on which the corporation is finally con-
victed of the offense described in such para-
graph; or 
‘‘(B) in the case of a criminal corporation 
described in paragraph (2) of subsection (b), on 
the date on which the corporation enters into 
an agreement described in such paragraph. 
‘‘(b) CRIMINAL CORPORATION DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘criminal corporation’ means a corpora-
tion— 
‘‘(1) which has been convicted of violating sec-
tion 371 of title 18, United States Code (relating to 
conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the 
United States), or any other felony involving dishon-
esty or a breach of trust; or 
‘‘(2) which has been charged with violating sec-
tion 371 of such title or with another felony involv-
ing dishonesty or a breach of trust and has entered 
into a nonprosecution agreement, a deferred pros-
ecution agreement, or any other agreement with the 
Attorney General to resolve the charge, if the terms 
and conditions of the agreement include a require-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Feb 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H658.IH
H658
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
ment that the corporation make a payment equal to 
or greater than $1,000,000.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a corporation 
which is convicted of the offense described in paragraph 
(1) of section 325(b) of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (as added by subsection (a)), or which enters 
into an agreement described in paragraph (2) of such sec-
tion, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:54 Feb 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H658.IH
H658
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS