16-948. Controls on participating candidates' campaign accounts

(Caution:  1998 Prop. 105 applies)

A. A participating candidate shall conduct all financial activity through a single campaign account of the candidate's campaign committee. A participating candidate shall not make any deposits into the campaign account other than those permitted under section 16-945 or 16-946.

B. A candidate may designate other persons with authority to withdraw monies from the candidate's campaign account. The candidate and any person so designated shall sign a joint statement under oath promising to comply with the requirements of this title.

C. The candidate or a person authorized under subsection B of this section shall pay monies from a participating candidate's campaign account directly to the person providing goods or services to the campaign and shall identify, on a report filed pursuant to article 1.4 of this chapter, the full name and street address of the person and the nature of the goods and services and compensation for which payment has been made. The following payments made directly or indirectly from a participating candidate's campaign account are unlawful contributions:

1. A payment made to a private organization that is exempt under section 501(a) of the internal revenue code and that is eligible to engage in activities to influence the outcome of a candidate election.

2. A payment made directly or indirectly to a political party.

D. Notwithstanding subsection C of this section, a campaign committee may establish one or more petty cash accounts, which in aggregate shall not exceed one thousand dollars at any time. No single expenditure shall be made from a petty cash account exceeding one hundred dollars.

E. Monies in a participating candidate's campaign account shall not be used to pay fines or civil penalties, for costs or legal fees related to representation before the commission, or for defense of any enforcement action under this chapter. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent a participating candidate from having a legal defense fund.

F. A participating candidate shall not use clean elections monies to purchase goods or services that bear a distinctive trade name, trademark or trade dress item, including a logo, that is owned by a business or other entity that is owned by that participating candidate or in which the candidate has a controlling interest.  The use of goods or services that are prohibited by this subsection is deemed to be an unlawful in-kind contribution to the participating candidate.