Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed complaints with both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Ethics Committees alleging that 66 House candidates and 11 Senate candidates who will be on the ballot on November 3, 2026 have failed to file legally required personal financial disclosure reports.
Financial disclosure reports give voters essential information about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest, and whether claims about their finances match reality. The reports can also potentially provide key details about how their campaigns are ultimately funded.
By failing to file these reports, dozens of candidates who will be on the ballot on November 3 are depriving voters of the information they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box. The majority of the candidates CLC has identified represent one of the two major political parties.
Congressional candidates must file financial disclosure reports with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate within 30 days after becoming a candidate, but generally no later than May 15. Candidates may receive up to a 90-day extension, which could push the deadline as late as August 15. But all of those deadlines have passed, and none of the 77 active candidates CLC has identified have filed required financial disclosure reports.
Personal Campaign Loans and Financial Disclosure Reports
Complete, accurate and timely financial disclosure reports are particularly important when candidates report making large personal loans to their campaigns.
Consider disgraced former Rep. George Santos. The discrepancy between the substantial personal loans Santos reported making to his 2022 campaign and the meager assets listed on his financial disclosure reports provided an early warning that he was deceiving voters and federal officials about his finances. But those red flags received serious scrutiny only after Santos had won his election—underscoring why watchdog groups, journalists, and voters need timely and accurate financial disclosures before ballots are cast.
Thirty-one candidates included in CLC’s complaints have reported making personal loans to their campaign committees without properly disclosing whether they have the funds or assets to make those loans.
David Flippo, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, is considered a strong favorite to win his seat. Flippo has reported loaning his campaign committee over $1.6 million, but there are questions about whether he has the assets to cover those loans — questions which cannot be answered, because he has not filed a financial disclosure report.
Jonny Larsen, the Democratic candidate for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, has reported loaning over $36,000 to his campaign — more than two-thirds of the total money his campaign has raised. He has not filed a financial disclosure report either. And Mike Echols, a Republican hopeful for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, has reported loaning $2.4 million to his campaign committee, but failed to file the report that would show whether he has those assets.
In February 2024, CLC filed a similar complaint against 41 Senate candidates. In August of that same year, CLC again asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the six candidates that were still running but had yet to file the required reports.
Two years later, neither the Senate nor the House Ethics Committees are adequately enforcing disclosure rules. This lack of enforcement contrasts with how similar violations were referred to the U.S. Department of Justice in the past. The current failure to hold candidates responsible may incentivize others to ignore the law.
Public trust in government is dependent on candidates and elected officials following ethics rules and regulations. If they do not comply, they must be held accountable.
That is the only way to build voter confidence that candidates and elected officials will prioritize their constituents, and not their own personal financial interests or those of special interests.