,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cbi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #h1 #bjai,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 to provide a criminal penalty for certain ,federal officers and employees using their public office for private gain1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,accountability for ,government ,officials ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,during his time as ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 ,scott ,pruitt faced more than #ab separate ethics investigations including by the ,environmental ,protection ,agency ,inspector ,general1 the ,committee on ,oversight and ,government ,reform of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,executive ,office of the ,president1 the ,government ,accountability ,office1 and the ,u4,s4 ,office of ,special ,counsel4 7#b7 ,on ,october #b1 #bjag1 the ,department of the ,interior's ,inspector ,general confirmed they were investigating ,secretary ,ryan ,zinke's taxpayer-funded flights1 including #ab1cge on a chartered flight from ,las ,vegas to ,montana where he spoke to a hockey team that is owned by one of ,secretary ,zinke's largest political donors4 7#c7 ,on ,march #ad1 #bjah1 ,,cnn reported that ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development ,ben ,carson knew about a dining set worth #ca1jjj that was ordered for ,carson's office1 knowledge of which he had previously denied4 7#d7 ,on ,march #bj1 #bjah1 it was publicly reported that ,scott ,pruitt secured a sub-market lease for a ,washington1 ,,dc1 condominium owned by the wife of a lobbyist who represented clients with matters pending before the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 and told the ,washington ,examiner that he was dumbfounded that that's controversial4 7#e7 ,on ,april #d1 #bjah1 the ,new ,york ,times reported that ,scott ,pruitt used a loophole in the ,safe ,water ,drinking ,act to give raises to his aides that had been explicitly denied by the ,white ,house4 7#f7 ,on ,april #af1 #bjah1 the ,washington ,post reported that ,scott ,pruitt had spent nearly #c1jjj1jjj of taxpayer funds on security and travel since taking office in ,february #bjag4 7#g7 ,on ,april #bf1 #bjah1 ,politico reported that ,scott ,pruitt spent over #aje1jjj of taxpayer funds on first-class flights1 citing since-debunked threats to his personal security4 7#h7 ,on ,june #e1 #bjah1 the ,washington ,post reported that ,scott ,pruitt used official channels to pressure ,chick-fil-,a ,chief ,executive ,officer ,dan ,cathy into securing a restaurant franchise for his wife4 7#i7 ,on ,june #f1 #bjah1 the ,washington ,post reported that ,scott ,pruitt forced aides to help him secure a used ,trump ,home ,luxury ,plush ,euro ,pillow ,top4 7#aj7 ,on ,june #h1 #bjah1 the ,washington ,post reported that ,scott ,pruitt forced his security detail to help him acquire high-end hand lotion and to pick up his dry cleaning4 7#aa7 ,on ,july #b1 #bjah1 the ,washington ,post reported that ,scott ,pruitt recruited a staff member to help his wife find a job1 the salary for which he stipulated should be no less than #bjj1jjj4 7#ab7 ,on ,july #e1 #bjah1 ,scott ,pruitt resigned amid myriad scandals and massive public pressure4 7#ac7 ,on ,july #ac1 #bjah1 ,forbes reported on ,wilbur ,ross' massive conflicts of interest1 including having taken meetings with a trade association whose members included a car manufacturer whose investors included ,ross himself4 ,the same report noted that ,wilbur ,ross took meetings with companies whose investors included his wife4 7#ad7 ,on ,july #ac1 #bjah1 ,the ,new ,york ,times reported that ,tom ,price repeatedly violated government travel rules1 wasting at least #cad1jjj of taxpayer funds by using chartered jets and military air travel instead of commercially available flights4 #c4 ,use of public office for private gain 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ic of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #aibe4 ,use of public office for private gain 7a7 ,use for private gain ,whoever1 being a covered ,federal officer or employee1 uses his public office for-- 7#a7 his own private gain2 7#b7 the endorsement of any product1 service or enterprise2 or 7#c7 the private gain of a friend1 relative1 or a person with whom the covered ,federal officer or employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity1 including a nonprofit organization of which the covered ,federal officer or employee is an officer or member1 and a person with whom the employee has or seeks employment or business relations1 shall be fined under this title1 imprisoned not more than one year1 or in the case of a willful violation1 not more than #e years1 or both4 7b7 ,coercion ,whoever1 being a covered ,federal officer or employee1 uses or permits the use of his ,government position or title or any authority associated with his public office in a manner that is intended to coerce or induce another person1 including a subordinate1 to provide any benefit1 financial or otherwise1 to himself or to a friend1 relative1 or person with whom the covered ,federal officer or employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity1 shall be fined under this title1 imprisoned not more than one year1 or in the case of a willful violation1 not more than #e years1 or both4 7c7 ,covered ,federal officer or employee ,for purposes of this section1 the term covered ,federal officer or employee means any of the following officers or employees of the ,federal ,government3 7#a7 ,assistant to the ,president for ,national ,security ,affairs4 7#b7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,chief of ,staff4 7#c7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,deputy ,chief of ,staff4 7#d7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,deputy ,chief of ,staff for ,communications 7or ,director of ,communications74 7#e7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,press ,secretary4 7#f7 ,senior ,advisor to the ,president4 7#g7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,staff ,secretary4 7#h7 ,assistant to the ,president for ,homeland ,security and ,counterterrorism4 7#i7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,counselor to the ,president4 7#aj7 ,director of the ,national ,economic ,council4 7#aa7 ,director of the ,domestic ,policy ,council4 7#ab7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,chief of ,staff or ,deputy ,chief of ,staff to the ,vice ,president4 7#ac7 ,special ,assistant to the ,president and ,director of ,communications for the ,vice ,president4 7#ad7 ,press ,secretary to the ,vice ,president4 7#ae7 ,senior ,advisor to the ,vice ,president4 7#af7 ,deputy ,assistant to the ,president and ,national ,security ,advisor or ,deputy ,national ,security ,advisor to the ,vice ,president4 7#ag7 ,deputy ,assistant to the ,president and ,counselor to the ,vice ,president4 7#ah7 ,assistant to the ,president and ,white ,house ,counsel4 7#ai7 ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget4 7#bj7 ,any officer or employee whose appointment is made by the ,president by and with the advice and consent of the ,senate4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections for chapter #ic of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after the item related to section #aibd the following3 #aibe4 ,use of public office for private gain4 4