Rep. Mike Gallagher Introduces Bill to Ban ‘Hunter Biden-Like Influence Peddling’

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced legislation to deter immediate family members of executive branch officials from leveraging their family connections to benefit from foreign business dealings, slamming Hunter Biden’s controversial business dealings while referring to the president’s son as “the ultimate swamp creature.”

On Friday, in a move to counter rampant nepotism in the executive branch of the government, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced the “Deterring Attempts at Dirty Deals by Youngsters” (DADDY) Act to Congress to ban close relatives of the president, vice president, and cabinet members from employment with specific foreign firms while their family members are in office.

The proposed legislation follows a series of recent investigations highlighting questionable dealings involving President Joe Biden’s immediate family. 

Reports suggest that his son, Hunter, and other close relatives monetized their family ties, allegedly selling a “brand” that promised foreign companies access to then-Vice President Biden. 

Transactions reportedly amounting to millions have reignited concerns about the influence of money and connections in Washington, DC.

A press release described the conduct as one that “reeks of nepotism, undermines public trust, corrupts institutions, and should be illegal,” noting that the new bill would outlaw such criminal behavior and make it “punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to five years in jail, or both.” 

“Hunter Biden is the ultimate swamp creature,” Gallagher stated. “His shameless degree of influence peddling and profiteering is exactly what’s wrong with Washington and it’s shocking this kind of behavior isn’t illegal already”:

Hunter Biden's influence peddling represents everything that's wrong with the Swamp.

Rep. Gallagher's DADDY Act bans this behavior and ensures family members of executive branch officials can't profit off their family's political connections.

Read more: https://t.co/HdoJdkUJL6 pic.twitter.com/CG36ywIr1r

— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) September 29, 2023

Accordingly, the bill will help end such forms of corruption, ensuring family members of an executive branch official cannot profit from their family’s governmental position.

Key provisions of the DADDY Act — which covers a broad range of family relationships, from spouses to siblings and even stepchildren and adoptive family members — include banning immediate family members of the executive leadership from working for certain foreign companies during the tenure of their relative’s office and instituting hefty penalties for violations, with fines reaching up to $250,000 and potential jail time of up to five years.

The proposed bill provides clear definitions, allowing family members of executive roles to work in NATO, Five Eyes Alliance countries, Japan, South Korea, and Israel, while specifying which family relationships and official positions are affected by these provisions.

The legislation represents a broader push to restore public trust in government institutions and eliminate potential avenues for undue influence, following recent controversies surrounding allegations of influence peddling by executive branch family members. 

The matter comes as House Republicans initiated a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden last week, aiming to “ensure accountability” by investigating the financial affairs and business transactions of Hunter Biden.

In July, Rep. Gallagher introduced legislation to “drain the swamp,” lamenting that Washington, DC, is “broken.”