Bennet Reintroduces Legislation to Combat Corruption and Restore Public Trust

May 21, 2025|Press Releases
Washington, D.C.— Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight of campaign finance laws, reintroduced the Close the Revolving Door Act and the Zeroing Out Money for Buying Influence after Elections (ZOMBIE) Act to prevent elected officials from lobbying or misusing campaign funds after leaving office. The Close the Revolving Door Act would ban members of Congress from ever becoming lobbyists, increase transparency and accountability, and shut the revolving door of influence in Washington. The ZOMBIE Act would require politicians to close their campaign accounts if they are no longer running for federal office and before registering as a lobbyist or foreign agent.
“Members of Congress should spend their time serving the American people, not preparing to buy and sell their influence,”said Bennet. “This legislation will hold elected officials accountable and end Washington’s corrupt ‘pay-to-play’ politics. By banning members of Congress from lobbying or using their leftover campaign donations after they leave office, we can begin to restore the American people’s faith in our government.”
Close the Revolving Door Act Background
Bennet firstintroducedthe Close the Revolving Door Act in 2010 to combat the outsized influence of special interests and lobbyists in Washington.More than 460 former members of Congressare currently employed by lobbying firms, according to research from the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Close the Revolving Door Act would:
The text of the bill is availableHERE.
ZOMBIE Act Background
When politicians retire or lose elections, they often have significant leftover funds in their campaign accounts. These “zombie accounts” are ripe for abuse. When politicians take jobs as lobbyists or foreign agents, they often donate leftover campaign funds to policymakers with jurisdiction over areas of interest to their new employer. These zombie accounts are overlooked instruments of pay-to-play politics and corruption that are overdue for reform.
The ZOMBIE Act would:
The text of the bill is availableHERE.
Both the Close the Revolving Door Act and the ZOMBIE Act are endorsed by the Campaign Legal Center, Public Citizen, and End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund. The ZOMBIE Act is also endorsed by Common Cause.
Bennet is a leading advocate for restoring trust in our elections and government. In 2018, heintroducedthe Curtailing Lobbyists and Empowering Americans for a New (CLEAN) Politics Act to curb pay-to-play politics and limit the undue access and influence of lobbyists in Washington. In 2019, heintroduceda constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United by restoring authority to Congress, states, and the American people to regulate campaign finance. In 2023, Bennet reintroduced theDISCLOSE Actto shine a light on the influence of dark money in U.S. politics and elections and theFreedom to Vote Actto improve Americans’ access to the ballot, invest in state election infrastructure, strengthen campaign finance disclosure requirements, and ensure our elections are free from interference. This month, Bennetintroducedthe STABLE GENIUS Act to prevent elected officials and federal candidates from issuing or endorsing digital assets, while also preventing officials from making legislative or policy decisions influenced by the digital assets they hold.
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