Curbing Officials' Income and Nondisclosure (COIN) Act

This proposal aims to stop public officials from using their positions for personal financial gain. It bans certain financial deals by covered officials and their immediate family members while they serve, for 180 days before they start, and for 2 years after they leave. It also treats endorsements—like using an official’s name or photo to promote an investment—as part of the banned conduct. If someone breaks the rules, the Attorney General can sue, and the person can face fines and have to give up any profits. The law also says this kind of conduct is outside the person’s official duties, so normal job protections don’t apply .

Key points:

• Covered officials and their immediate family can’t take part in certain financial transactions tied to their role during the time windows listed below .
• Endorsing or lending their name or image to a financial product counts as participation in a prohibited transaction .
• Penalties can be up to $25,000 per violation, 10% of the investment’s value, or the amount of financial gain—whichever is highest—and profits must be paid back to the U.S. Treasury. The Attorney General may bring a civil case to enforce this .