S. 5511 — Honest Services Fraud Improvement Act

This section establishes a civil cause of action allowing a qualified U.S. citizen plaintiff to sue a government official for participating in a scheme or artifice to defraud the public of the intangible right to honest services through wire, radio, or television communications. A plaintiff must file under seal within one year of discovery (and no later than the criminal statute of limitations under section 1343), may not proceed pro se or seek injunctive relief, and may recover compensatory damages plus treble the value of any bribe; campaign contributions alone cannot form the basis of a claim.