VII. Retention of and Public Access to Reports

The House Clerk retains the reports of House Members and employees for six years and the reports of unsuccessful candidates for one year.[53] The Clerk makes all forms on file available for inspection by the public within thirty days of receipt.[54] In addition, pursuant to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, the Clerk must make the reports of all Members filed after June 1, 2008 available on a public, searchable website within 45 days of their filing.[55]

Anyone wishing to review a report on file with the Clerk must provide his or her name, occupation, and address; the name of any other person or entity on whose behalf the information is sought; and a statement that he or she is aware of the prohibitions on use of the information.[56] It is unlawful to use the information contained in Financial Disclosure Statements for any commercial purpose other than new reporting, any unlawful purpose, to establish a filer’s credit rating, or for charitable, political, or other solicitations.[57]