The House and Senate have opened their electronic filing systems and are now accepting personal financial disclosure statements (“FD Statements”) for Calendar Year 2022. Each year, filers must submit their FD Statement by May 15 unless they request an extension. Additional details on who must file, what information must be reported, and the deadlines to file are below.
Who Must File
The following individuals must file an annual FD Statement:
- Members of Congress
- Officers and employees of the Legislative Branch whose annual rate of pay was at least $135,468 in 2022
- Principal Assistants
- Political Fund Designees (Senate only)
What Must Be Reported
The Ethics in Government Act requires filers to disclose information related to their personal financial interests on annual FD Statements, including but not limited to assets, income, transactions, liabilities, positions held with organizations (compensated or not), gifts, and agreements concerning future employment, compensation, and royalties. Many of these financial sources only need to be disclosed when they aggregate over a specified dollar amount. The reporting individual also must disclose the financial interests of their spouse and dependent children.
Deadline to File
Filers must submit their FD Statement no later than May 15, 2023, unless they request an extension. Filers may request an extension of up to 90 days via the online filing system. Extension requests must be submitted on or before the May 15 deadline.
The House’s online filing system can be found at https://fd.house.gov. The Senate’s electronic filing system, eFD, is available at https://efd.senate.gov.
We strongly recommend that filers seek counsel to ensure their compliance with the reporting requirements. Violations can lead to ethics complaints, investigations, and civil penalties.
Attorneys and compliance staff at Elias Law Group prepare and review FD Statements for dozens of filers each year. If you have any questions or would like our assistance, please contact Kate Sawyer Keane at kskeane@elias.law.