A source informed RIA Novosti that the Federation Council did not release any data about senators’ 2022 income and expenses, not even non-personal figures on declarations on the upper house site.
“Nothing will happen,” stated a source in the upper chamber.
Information on deputies’ expenditures and earnings was supposed to appear within 14 working days after April 1, according to Vedomosti sources in both the State Duma and the Federation Council, who claim that the data will not be published at all.
In February 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that now requires deputies’ declarations to be published in an anonymized form without identifying personal data.
Under the new rule, information on the income of State Duma deputies and Federation Council members, as well as deputies from regional legislative bodies, should be published provided that it does not contain personal data that could identify the individuals, and data that could reveal information about the individuals’ assets. It will indicate the number of notifications issued and the violations detected.
The Vedomosti source in the Presidential Administration suggested that the Parliament will decide at any time to publish the declarations in anonymized form. In recent years, information on the websites of the Federation Council and the State Duma was typically published on a Friday in the middle of the month.
Officials in the State Duma’s apparatus told Vedomosti that impersonal statements would be issued if the presidential decree is repealed, allowing information about income to be withheld during the special operation.
The authors of the amendment were Andrey Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council committee on constitutional legislation, and Pavel Krasheninnikov, chairman of the Federation Council committee on state-building and legislation.
In January, while the measure was under discussion in parliament, Dmitry Peskov, the presidential spokesperson, said the proposal emerged with its own characteristics in relation to the special operation in Ukraine. He added that officials would continue to file declarations, noting that the system is established and anti-corruption bodies remain active.
Also in December 2022 Putin signed a decree exempting employees of internal affairs bodies, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the Russian Guard, Sledkom and participants in special operations from reporting income, expenses and property for the duration of the SVO.
A move toward greater opacity
At the end of January, after the law passed, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said the amendments do not restrict anyone from making public statements, calling it a personal right for every legislator. Even with the new rule allowing lawmakers to refrain from disclosure, he signaled his plan to continue publishing affidavits for lawmakers seeking reelection.
“If a person aims for reelection, if he wants the electorate’s trust, it must be clear where the assets come from and what property exists. Then trust will be earned or lost. The idea that disclosure is forbidden is not accurate,” Volodin explained.
In March 2022 United Russia deputy Vladislav Reznik proposed a bill to bar the publication of income and expense statements by officials who are sanctioned by Western states. The explanatory note argued the measure would prevent information from being used to pressure or influence individuals and their families by hostile states.
Sardana Avksentyeva of New People’s Party, a member of the State Duma Committee on State Construction, suggested the changes could be seen as a step toward convergence. She noted that the original intent of the declaration was to prevent unexplained enrichment and manage conflicts of interest, but warned that any future inquiry might occur behind closed doors, expressing concern about transparency.