Members of Congress in the House and Senate, candidates for federal office, senior congressional staff, nominees for executive branch positions, Cabinet members, the president and vice president and Supreme Court justices are required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to file annual reports disclosing their personal finances. Compliance and enforcement of this requirement is overseen by the congressional ethics committees, the ethics offices of government agencies and, in the case of executive branch officials, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
These disclosures include financial forms, gift and travel filings, post-employment lobbying restrictions, and more. It’s a lot of disclosure information, and oftentimes, some disclosures must be filed in person rather than online.
The following outlines the major types of information that must be reported on personal ethics disclosures, as well as if the information is publicly available online, in person, or both.
| House Report Type | Available Online or Offline? | Senate Report Type | Available Online or Offline? |
| CAO Semiannual Reports | Online | Semiannual Statement of Expenditures | Both |
| Federal Election Campaign Reports | Both | Campaign Financial Disclosure | Both |
| Financial Disclosure Forms and Reports | Both | Personal Financial Disclosure | Both |
| Foreign Travel Reports and Expenditures | Both | Foreign Travel | Both |
| Franking Commission (Mass Mailings) | Both | Franked Mail | Offline |
| Gift and Travel Filings | Both | Gift and Travel Disclosure | Both |
| House Ethics Committee Reports | Online | Senate Ethics Committee Reports | Both |
| Legal Expense Fund Disclosures | Offline | Legal Defense Funds | Offline |
| Lobbying Contribution | Both | Political Fund Activity Designees | Both |
| Lobbying Disclosure Filing | Both | Lobbying Disclosure | Both |
| Post Employment Lobbying Restrictions Database | Both | Post Employmnet Restrictions on Lobbying | Both |
| Statement of Rescusal Arising from Negotiations for Future Employment for Congressional Staff | Offline | Post Employment Negotiation Conflict Forms For Staff | Both |
| Statement of Rescusal Arising from Negotiations for Future Employment for Members of Congress | Offline | Post Employment Negotiation Conflict Forms for Members | Both |
| Statements of Disbursments | Online | Agreements to Comply with Code of Official Conduct | Offline |
| Supervisor’s Report on Individuals who Perform Senate Services | Offline |
You can view the complete spreadsheet containing comprehensive information on all House and Senate ethics disclosures, including what must be filed, where they can be filed, who files them, and additional requirements for filing:
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