2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 9 - Elections
Chapter 155 - Elections: Campaign Financing
Section 9-607 - (Formerly Sec. 9-333i). Making of expenditures.

(a) Authorization by campaign treasurer. No financial obligation shall be incurred by a committee unless authorized by the campaign treasurer, except that certain expenditures of a candidate’s personal funds may be reimbursed as provided in subsection (k) of this section.

(b) Nonliability for unauthorized debts. No candidate, campaign treasurer, or committee shall be liable for any debt incurred in aid of or in opposition to any political party, referendum question or the candidacy of any person or persons for said offices or positions unless such debt was incurred pursuant to an authorization issued under subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Election day expenditures. On any day on which an election or primary is being held, the campaign treasurer of any committee which functions as a town committee may give a check to one individual in each voting district of the municipality in which the election or primary is being held. The check shall be drawn by the campaign treasurer against the committee’s depository institution account to the order of such individual in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars. Such individual may use the proceeds of the check to make cash expenditures in such voting district for per diem allotments to campaign workers, or expenses incurred by campaign workers on election or primary day, including but not limited to, food, beverages, gasoline and other similar ordinary and necessary expenses. Such individual shall submit to the campaign treasurer, within forty-eight hours after the closing of the polls, a detailed accounting of all such expenditures. The campaign treasurer shall report the names of all such individuals and the expenditures made by them in accordance with the provisions of section 9-608.

(d) Payment by treasurer. Except as provided in subsections (j) and (k) of this section, no payment in satisfaction of any financial obligation incurred by a committee shall be made by or accepted from any person other than the campaign treasurer and then only according to the tenor of an authorization issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(e) Method of payment. Petty cash fund. (1) Any such payment shall be by check drawn by the campaign treasurer, on the designated depository. Any payment in satisfaction of any financial obligation incurred by a committee may also be made by debit card or credit card. In the case of payment made under a contract between a committee and a community antenna television company, as defined in section 16-1, for the purchase of advertisement space, the campaign treasurer of such committee may pay for such services using a bank or cashier’s check, as defined in section 42a-3-104, if so required by the contract, provided the campaign treasurer maintains documentation substantiating that the funds used to pay for such advertising space were expended from the committee’s funds. (2) The campaign treasurer of each committee may draw a check, not to exceed one hundred dollars, to establish a petty cash fund and may deposit additional funds to maintain it, but the fund shall not exceed one hundred dollars at any time. All expenditures from a petty cash fund shall be reported in the same manner as any other expenditure.

(f) Preservation of internal records, credit card statements and receipts, checks and bank statements. The campaign treasurer shall preserve all internal records of transactions required to be entered in reports filed pursuant to section 9-608 for four years from the date of the report in which the transactions were entered. Internal records required to be maintained in order for any permissible expenditure to be paid from committee funds include, but are not limited to, contemporaneous invoices, receipts, bills, statements, itineraries, or other written or documentary evidence showing the campaign or other lawful purpose of the expenditure. If a committee incurs expenses by credit card, the campaign treasurer shall preserve all credit card statements and receipts for four years from the date of the report in which the transaction was required to be entered. If any checks are issued pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, the campaign treasurer who issues them shall preserve all cancelled checks and bank statements for four years from the date on which they are issued. If debit card payments are made pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, the campaign treasurer who makes said payments shall preserve all debit card slips and bank statements for four years from the date on which the payments are made. In the case of a candidate committee, the campaign treasurer or the candidate, if the candidate so requests, shall preserve all internal records, cancelled checks, debit cards slips and bank statements for four years from the date of the last report required to be filed under subsection (a) of section 9-608.

(g) Permissible expenditures. (1) As used in this subsection, (A) “the lawful purposes of his committee” means: (i) For a candidate committee or exploratory committee, the promoting of the nomination or election of the candidate who established the committee, except that after a political party nominates candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, whose names shall be so placed on the ballot in the election that an elector will cast a single vote for both candidates, as prescribed in section 9-181, a candidate committee established by either such candidate may also promote the election of the other such candidate; (ii) for a political committee, the promoting of the success or defeat of candidates for nomination and election to public office or position subject to the requirements of this chapter, or the success or defeat of referendum questions, provided a political committee formed for a single referendum question shall not promote the success or defeat of any candidate, and provided further a legislative caucus committee may expend funds to defray costs of its members for conducting legislative or constituency-related business which are not reimbursed or paid by the state; and (iii) for a party committee, the promoting of the party, the candidates of the party and continuing operating costs of the party, and (B) “immediate family” means a spouse or dependent child of a candidate who resides in the candidate’s household.

(2) Unless otherwise provided by this chapter, any campaign treasurer, in accomplishing the lawful purposes of his committee, may pay the expenses of: (A) Advertising in electronic and print media; (B) any other form of printed advertising or communications including “thank you” advertising after the election; (C) campaign items, including, but not limited to, brochures, leaflets, flyers, invitations, stationery, envelopes, reply cards, return envelopes, campaign business cards, direct mailings, postcards, palm cards, “thank you” notes, sample ballots and other similar items; (D) political banners and billboards; (E) political paraphernalia, which is customarily given or sold to supporters including, but not limited to, campaign buttons, stickers, pins, pencils, pens, matchbooks, balloons, pads, calendars, magnets, key chains, hats, tee shirts, sweatshirts, frisbees, pot holders, jar openers and other similar items; (F) purchasing office supplies for campaign or political purposes, campaign photographs, raffle or other fund-raising permits required by law, fund-raiser prizes, postage, express mail delivery services, bulk mail permits, and computer supplies and services; (G) banking service charges to maintain campaign and political accounts; (H) subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals which enhance the candidacy of the candidate or party; (I) lease or rental of office space for campaign or political purposes and expenses in connection therewith including, but not limited to, furniture, parking, storage space, utilities and maintenance, provided a party committee or political committee organized for ongoing political activities may purchase such office space; (J) lease or rental of vehicles for campaign use only; (K) lease, rental or use charges of any ordinary and necessary campaign office equipment including, but not limited to, copy machines, telephones, postage meters, facsimile machines, computer hardware, software and printers, provided a party committee or political committee organized for ongoing political activities may purchase office equipment, and provided further that a candidate committee or a political committee, other than a political committee formed for ongoing political activities or an exploratory committee, may purchase computer equipment; (L) compensation for campaign or committee staff, fringe benefits and payroll taxes, provided the candidate and any member of his immediate family shall not receive compensation; (M) travel, meals and lodging expenses of speakers, campaign or committee workers, the candidate and the candidate’s spouse for political and campaign purposes; (N) fund raising; (O) reimbursements to candidates and campaign or committee workers made in accordance with the provisions of this section for campaign-related expenses for which a receipt is received by the campaign treasurer; (P) campaign or committee services of attorneys, accountants, consultants or other professional persons for campaign activities, obtaining or contesting ballot status, nomination, or election, and compliance with this chapter; (Q) purchasing campaign finance reports; (R) repaying permissible campaign loans made to the committee that are properly reported and refunding contributions received from an impermissible source or in excess of the limitations set forth in this chapter; (S) conducting polls concerning any political party, issue, candidate or individual; (T) gifts to campaign or committee workers or purchasing flowers or other commemorative items for political purposes not to exceed one hundred dollars to any one recipient in a calendar year or for the campaign, as the case may be; (U) purchasing tickets or advertising from charities, inaugural committees, or other civic organizations if for a political purpose, for any candidate, a candidate’s spouse, a member of a candidate’s campaign staff, or members of committees; (V) the inauguration of an elected candidate by that candidate’s candidate committee; (W) hiring of halls, rooms, music and other entertainment for political meetings and events; (X) reasonable compensation for public speakers hired by the committee; (Y) transporting electors to the polls and other get-out-the-vote activities on election day; and (Z) any other necessary campaign or political expense.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a candidate from purchasing equipment from his personal funds and leasing or renting such equipment to his candidate committee or his exploratory committee, provided the candidate and his campaign treasurer sign a written lease or rental agreement. Such agreement shall include the lease or rental price, which shall not exceed the fair lease or rental value of the equipment. The candidate shall not receive lease or rental payments which in the aggregate exceed his cost of purchasing the equipment.

(4) As used in this subdivision, expenditures for “personal use” include expenditures to defray normal living expenses for the candidate, the immediate family of the candidate or any other individual and expenditures for the personal benefit of the candidate or any other individual having no direct connection with, or effect upon, the campaign of the candidate or the lawful purposes of the committee, as defined in subdivision (2) of this section. No goods, services, funds and contributions received by any committee under this chapter shall be used or be made available for the personal use of any candidate or any other individual. No candidate, committee, or any other individual shall use such goods, services, funds or contributions for any purpose other than campaign purposes permitted by this chapter.

(h) Honoraria, gifts or compensation for elected public officials. No campaign treasurer of a political committee may provide an honorarium to, compensate or make a gift to, any elected public official who is subject to the provisions of this chapter, for any speaking engagement or other services rendered on behalf of such committee, except that the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to: (1) Reimbursement for actual travel expenses or food and beverage for the personal consumption of such public official or members of his immediate family, in connection with the rendering of any such services by the public official; or (2) any contribution made to such public official in connection with his campaign for nomination or election to an office or position included in this chapter, which is reported in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Except as provided in this subsection, no such elected public official may receive any gift, honorarium or compensation from a political committee.

(i) Expenses for election or primary contest. The right of any person to expend money for proper legal expenses in maintaining or contesting the results of any election or primary shall not be affected or limited by the provisions of this chapter or chapter 157, provided only sources eligible to contribute to the candidate for the campaign may contribute to the payment of legal expenses.

(j) Reimbursements to candidates and committee workers. A candidate or his committee worker shall be reimbursed by the campaign treasurer for any permissible expenditure which the candidate or committee worker has paid from his own personal funds if (1) the campaign treasurer authorized the expenditure, (2) the candidate or worker provides the campaign treasurer with a written receipt or other documentary evidence from the vendor proving his payment of the expenditure, and (3) in the case of a reimbursement to the candidate, a detailed accounting of the expenditure is included in the report of the campaign treasurer. Internal records required to be maintained in order for any candidate or committee worker to be reimbursed from committee funds include, but are not limited to, contemporaneous invoices, receipts, bills, statements, itineraries, or other written or documentary evidence showing the campaign or lawful purpose of the expenditure. The campaign treasurer shall preserve all such internal records for the same period of time as required in the case of cancelled checks, except that the campaign treasurer of a candidate committee may, upon request of the candidate, give such internal records to the candidate to keep for such period.

(k) Campaign expenses paid by candidate. A candidate shall report to his campaign treasurer each campaign expenditure of more than fifty dollars which he has made directly from his own personal funds, except those expenditures for his own telephone calls, travel and meals for which the candidate does not seek reimbursement from his committee, by the close of the reporting period in which the expenditures were made. The candidate shall indicate whether or not he expects reimbursement by the committee. The campaign treasurer shall report all such reimbursed and nonreimbursed expenditures as “campaign expenses paid by the candidate” on the sworn financial statements he is required to file in accordance with section 9-608 and in the same manner as committee expenditures.

(l) Political committee checks to committees. Each check issued by the campaign treasurer of a political committee to a candidate committee, party committee or another political committee (1) shall have typed, stamped, or printed other than by hand, on its face, the name and address of the political committee making the contribution and (2) shall legibly indicate the name of the campaign treasurer of the political committee.

(m) Obligations and restrictions imposed on certifying candidates. Any obligation or restriction imposed by this section and sections 9-608, 9-610, 9-611, 9-613, 9-615, 9-616, 9-618, 9-620, 9-621, 9-622 and 9-623 on a campaign treasurer or a candidate committee shall be deemed to be imposed on any candidate who is exempt from forming a candidate committee and has filed a certification pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9-604 with the proper authority.

(P.A. 86-99, S. 10, 34; P.A. 91-351, S. 8–10, 28; P.A. 94-143, S. 3, 6; P.A. 95-276, S. 1, 3; P.A. 02-130, S. 9; P.A. 03-241, S. 61; P.A. 04-91, S. 1; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 24; P.A. 06-137, S. 15; P.A. 08-2, S. 5; P.A. 11-48, S. 297.)

History: P.A. 91-351 inserted “or positions” in Subsec. (b) and “or position” in Subsec. (h), added Subsec. (m) re checks issued by political committee treasurer (formerly Subsec. (d) of Sec. 9-333g) and added Subsec. (n) re obligations and restrictions imposed on candidate who is exempt from forming candidate committee and has filed certification; P.A. 94-143 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provisions re internal records and bank statements, amended Subdiv. (1) of Subsec. (g) by adding “leasing” and provisions re purchasing space or equipment in Subpara. (D), deleting “or supplies” from Subpara. (D) and adding new Subpara. (M) re supplies, amended Subsec. (g)(2) by adding provision re candidate leasing or renting equipment to committee, amended Subsec. (j) by expanding subsection to candidate reimbursement, changing “committee expenditure” to “permissible expenditure”, and adding subdivision designations and Subdiv. (3), deleted Subsecs. (k) and (l) re candidate reimbursement, added new Subsec. (k) re reporting of campaign expenses paid by the candidate, and relettered former Subsecs. (m) and (n) as (l) and (m), effective January 1, 1995, and applicable to elections conducted on or after that date; P.A. 95-276 amended Subsec. (g) by designating former provisions as Subdivs. (2) and (3), adding Subdiv. (1) defining “the lawful purposes of his committee” and “immediate family”, revising list of items in Subdiv. (2) for which campaign treasurers may pay expenses, and adding Subdiv. (4) re restrictions on use of goods, services, funds and contributions received by committees, effective January 1, 1996; P.A. 02-130 amended Subsec. (e) by allowing party committee to make payments by debit card and inserting Subdiv. designators and amended Subsec. (f) by requiring preservation of debit card slips and bank statements when debit card payments are made and making technical changes, effective January 1, 2003, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after said date; P.A. 03-241 amended Subsec. (e)(1) to allow payment by any committee, instead of only by party committee, to be made by debit card, amended Subsec. (f) to require preservation of candidate committee debit card slips, and amended Subsec. (g) by adding provision in Subdiv. (1)(A)(i) re expenditures by candidate committees established by candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor who are nominated by same party and making a technical change in Subdiv. (2)(Y), effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-91 amended Subsec. (e)(1) by allowing payment to be made by credit card, amended Subsec. (f) by inserting “required to be” re reporting of records of transactions, adding provision re types of internal records required to be maintained and requiring campaign treasurer to preserve credit card statements and receipts for four years, amended Subsec. (g)(4) by redefining expenditures for “personal use”, applying provisions to individual noncandidates, substituting “committee” for “candidate committee” and deleting “expenses incurred in preparation for taking office”, and amended Subsec. (j) by adding “or other documentary evidence” in Subdiv. (2), adding provision re types of internal records required to be maintained and substituting “internal records” for “receipts”, effective July 1, 2004; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 amended Subsec. (g)(1)(A)(ii) by substituting “legislative caucus committee” for provision re political committee designated by majority of members of political party who are also members of House of Representatives or Senate, effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after that date; P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (g)(2) to increase from $50 to $100 the maximum value of gifts to campaign or committee workers or for purchasing flowers or other commemorative items for political purposes and make a technical change, effective June 6, 2006; Sec. 9-333i transferred to Sec. 9-607 in 2007; P.A. 08-2 amended Subsec. (i) to include references to primaries and chapter 157 and provide that only sources eligible to contribute to campaign may contribute to legal expenses, effective April 7, 2008; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding language re payment made under contract with community antenna television company, effective July 1, 2011.