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Protect Democracy from Criminal Corporations Act

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibitcriminal corporations from making disbursements of funds inconnection with a campaign for election for Federal, State, or

local office.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the Protect Democracy From CriminalCorporations Act.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING POLITICAL SPENDING BY CRIMINAL

CORPORATIONS.

(a) PRO HI BIT ION.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 newsection:

SEC. 325.PROHIBITING POLITICAL SPENDING BY CRIMINALCORPORATIONS.

(a)PRO HI BIT ION.

(1) IN GENERAL.To the extent that corporations arepermitted under law to make a disbursement of funds in connectionwith a campaign for election for Federal, State, or local office,including a disbursement consisting of a contribution or donation ofmoney or other thing of value, an independent expenditure, or adisbursement for an electioneering communication (as defined insection 304(f)(3)), it shall be unlawful for a corporation which is acriminal corporation, or for any separate segregated fundestablished under section 316(b)(2)(C) by a criminal corporation, tomake such a disbursement during the applicable period described inparagraph (2).

(2) APPLICABLE PERIOD DESCRIBED.In paragraph (1),the applicable period with respect to a criminal corporation is the6-year period which begins

(A) in the case of a criminal corporation described inparagraph (1) of subsection (b), on the date on which thecorporation is finally convicted of the offense described in suchparagraph; or

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(B) in the case of a criminal corporation described inparagraph (2) of subsection (b), on the date on which thecorporation enters into an agreement described in suchparagraph.

(b) CRI MI NAL CORPORATIONDEFI NE D.In this section, the term criminalcorporation means a corporation

(1) which has been convicted of violating section 371 of title 18,United States Code (relating to conspiracy to commit offense or todefraud the United States), or any other felony involving dishonestyor a breach of trust; or

(2) which has been charged with violating section 371 of suchtitle or with another felony involving dishonesty or a breach of trustand has entered into a nonprosecution agreement, a deferredprosecution agreement, or any other agreement with the AttorneyGeneral to resolve the charge, if the terms and conditions of theagreement include a requirement that the corporation make apayment equal to or greater than $1,000,000..

(b) EFF ECTI VE DAT E.The amendment made by subsection (a) shall applywith respect to a corporation which is convicted of the offense described inparagraph (1) of section 325(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (asadded by subsection (a)), or which enters into an agreement described inparagraph (2) of such section, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.