11 CFR § 110.2 - Contributions by multicandidate political committees (52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(2)).
(a)
(1) Scope. This section applies to all contributions made by any multicandidate political committee as defined in 11 CFR 100.5(e)(3). See 11 CFR 102.2(a)(3) for multicandidate political committee certification requirements. A political committee becomes a multicandidate committee at the time the political committee meets the requirements of 11 CFR 100.5(e)(3) or becomes affiliated with an existing multicandidate committee, whether or not the political committee has certified its status as a multicandidate committee with the Commission in accordance with 11 CFR 102.2(a)(3).
(2) Notice to recipients. Each multicandidate committee that makes a contribution under this section shall notify the recipient in writing of its status as a multicandidate committee.
(b) Contributions to candidates; designations; and redesignations.
(1) No multicandidate political committee shall make contributions to any candidate, his or her authorized political committees or agents with respect to any election for Federal office which, in the aggregate, exceed $5,000.
(2) For purposes of this section, with respect to any election means—
(i) In the case of a contribution designated in writing by the contributor for a particular election, the election so designated. Multicandidate political committees making contributions to candidates are encouraged to designate their contributions in writing for particular elections. See 11 CFR 110.2(b)(4).
(ii) In the case of a contribution not designated in writing by the contributor for a particular election, the next election for that Federal office after the contribution is made.
(3)
(i) A contribution designated in writing for a particular election, but made after that election, shall be made only to the extent that the contribution does not exceed net debts outstanding from such election. To the extent that such contribution exceeds net debts outstanding, the candidate or the candidate's authorized political committee shall return or deposit the contribution within ten days from the date of the treasurer's receipt of the contribution as provided by 11 CFR 103.3(a), and if deposited, then within sixty days from the date of the treasurer's receipt the treasurer shall take the following action, as appropriate:
(A) Refund the contribution using a committee check or draft; or
(B) Obtain a written redesignation by the contributor for another election in accordance with 11 CFR 110.2(b)(5).
If the candidate is not a candidate in the general election, all contributions made for the general election shall be either returned or refunded to the contributors or redesignated in accordance with 11 CFR 110.2(b)(5).
(ii) The treasurer of the candidate's authorized political committee shall calculate net debts outstanding in accordance with 11 CFR 110.1(b)(3)(ii). The amount of the net debts outstanding shall be adjusted as additional funds are received and expenditures are made. The candidate and his or her authorized political committee(s) may accept contributions made after the date of the election if such contributions are designated in writing by the contributor for that election and if such contributions do not exceed the adjusted amount of net debts outstanding on the date the contribution is received.
(4) For purposes of this section, a contribution shall be considered to be designated in writing for a particular election if—
(i) The contribution is made by check, money order, or other negotiable instrument which clearly indicates the particular election with respect to which the contribution is made;
(ii) The contribution is accompanied by a writing, signed by the contributor, which clearly indicates the particular election with respect to which the contribution is made; or
(iii) The contribution is redesignated in accordance with 11 CFR 110.2(b)(5).
(5)
(i) The treasurer of an authorized political committee may request a written redesignation of a contribution by the contributor for a different election if—
(A) The contribution was designated in writing for a particular election, and the contribution, either on its face or when aggregated with other contributions from the same contributor for the same election, exceeds the limitation on contributions set forth in 11 CFR 110.2(b)(1);
(B) The contribution was designated in writing for a particular election and the contribution was made after that election and the contribution cannot be accepted under the net debts outstanding provisions of 11 CFR 110.2(b)(3);
(C) The contribution was not designated in writing for a particular election, and the contribution exceeds the limitation on contributions set forth in 11 CFR 110.2(b)(1); or
(D) The contribution was not designated in writing for a particular election and the contribution was received after the date of an election for which there are net debts outstanding on the date the contribution is received.
(ii) A contribution shall be considered to be redesignated for another election if—
(A) The treasurer of the recipient authorized political committee requests that the contributor provide a written redesignation of the contribution and informs the contributor that the contributor may request the refund of the contribution as an alternative to providing a written redesignation; and
(B) Within sixty days from the date of the treasurer's receipt of the contribution, the contributor provides the treasurer with a written redesignation of the contribution for another election, which is signed by the contributor.
(iii) A contribution redesignated for another election shall not exceed the limitations on contributions made with respect to that election. A contribution redesignated for a previous election shall be subject to the requirements of 11 CFR 110.2(b)(3) regarding net debts outstanding.
(6) For the purposes of this section, a contribution shall be considered to be made when the contributor relinquishes control over the contribution. A contributor shall be considered to relinquish control over the contribution when it is delivered by the contributor to the candidate, to the political committee, or to an agent of the political committee. A contribution that is mailed to the candidate, or to the political committee or to an agent of the political committee, shall be considered to be made on the date of the postmark. See 11 CFR 110.1(l)(4). An in-kind contribution shall be considered to be made on the date that the goods or services are provided by the contributor.
(c) Contributions to political party committees.
(1) No multicandidate political committee shall make contributions to the political committees established and maintained by a national political party in any calendar year which, in the aggregate, exceed $15,000.
(2) For purposes of this section, political committees established and maintained by a national political party means—
(i) The national committee;
(ii) The House campaign committee; and
(iii) The Senate campaign committee.
(3) Each recipient committee referred to in 11 CFR 110.2(c)(2) may receive up to the $15,000 limitation from a multicandidate political committee.
(4) The recipient committee shall not be an authorized political committee of any candidate, except as provided in 11 CFR 9002.1(c).
(d) Contributions to other political committees. No multicandidate political committee shall make contributions to any other political committee in any calendar year which, in the aggregate, exceed $5,000.
(e) Contributions by political party committees to Senatorial candidates.
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Act, or of these regulations, the Republican and Democratic Senatorial campaign committees, or the national committee of a political party, may make contributions of not more than a combined total of $35,000 to a candidate for nomination or election to the Senate during the calendar year of the election for which he or she is a candidate. Any contribution made by such committee to a Senatorial candidate under this paragraph in a year other than the calendar year in which the election is held shall be considered to be made during the calendar year in which the election is held.
(2) The contribution limitation in paragraph (e)(1) of this section shall be increased by the percent difference in the price index in accordance with 11 CFR 110.17. The increased contribution limitation shall be in effect for the two calendar years starting on January 1 of the year in which the contribution limitation is increased. In every odd-numbered year, the Commission will publish in the Federal Register the amount of the contribution limitation in effect and place such information on the Commission's Web site.
(f) Contributions to candidates for more than one Federal office. If an individual is a candidate for more than one Federal office, a multicandidate political committee may make contributions which do not exceed $5,000 to the candidate, or his or her authorized political committees for each election for each office, provided that the requirements set forth in 11 CFR 110.1(f)(1), (2), and (3) are satisfied.
(g) Contributions to retire pre-1975 debts. Contributions made to retire debts resulting from elections held prior to January 1, 1975 are not subject to the limitations of 11 CFR part 110, as long as contributions and solicitations to retire these debts are designated in writing and used for that purpose. Contributions made to retire debts resulting from elections held after December 31, 1974 are subject to the limitations of 11 CFR part 110.
(h) Contributions to committees supporting the same candidate. A multicandidate political committee may contribute to a candidate or his or her authorized committee with respect to a particular election and also contribute to a political committee which has supported, or anticipates supporting, the same candidate in the same election, as long as—
(1) The recipient political committee is not the candidate's principal campaign committee or other authorized political committee or a single candidate committee;
(2) The multicandidate political committee does not give with the knowledge that a substantial portion will be contributed to, or expended on behalf of, that candidate for the same election; and
(3) The multicandidate political committee does not retain control over the funds.
(i) Application of limitations to elections.
(1) The limitations on contributions of this section (other than paragraph (e) of this section) shall apply separately with respect to each election as defined in 11 CFR 100.2, except that all elections held in a calendar year for the office of President of the United States (except a general election for that office) shall be considered to be one election.
(2) An election in which a candidate is unopposed is a separate election for the purposes of the limitations on contributions of this section.
(3) A primary or general election which is not held because a candidate is unopposed or received a majority of votes in a previous election is a separate election for the purposes of the limitations on contributions of this section. The date on which the election would have been held shall be considered to be the date of the election.
(4) A primary election which is not held because a candidate was nominated by a caucus or convention with authority to nominate is not a separate election for the purposes of the limitations on contributions of this section.
(j) Contributions to delegates and delegate committees.
(1) Contributions to delegates for the purpose of furthering their selection under 11 CFR 110.14 are not subject to the limitations of this section.
(2) Contributions to delegate committees under 11 CFR 110.14 are subject to the limitations of this section.
(k) Contributions to multicandidate political committees making independent expenditures. The limitations on contributions of this section also apply to contributions made to multicandidate political committees making independent expenditures under 11 CFR Part 109.
(l) Pre-candidacy expenditures by multicandidate political committees deemed in-kind contributions; effect of reimbursement.
(1) A payment by a multicandidate political committee is deemed an in-kind contribution to and an expenditure by a Presidential candidate, even though made before the individual becomes a candidate under 11 CFR 100.3, if—
(i) The expenditure is made on or after January 1 of the year immediately following the last Presidential election year;
(ii) With respect to the goods or services involved, the candidate accepted or received them, requested or suggested their provision, was materially involved in the decision to provide them, or was involved in substantial discussions about their provision; and
(iii) The goods or services are—
(A) Polling expenses for determining the favorability, name recognition, or relative support level of the candidate involved;
(B) Compensation paid to employees, consultants, or vendors for services rendered in connection with establishing and staffing offices in States where Presidential primaries, caucuses, or preference polls are to be held, other than offices in the candidate's home state and in or near the District of Columbia;
(C) Administrative expenses, including rent, utilities, office supplies and equipment, in connection with establishing and staffing offices in States where Presidential primaries, caucuses, or preference polls are to be held, other than offices in the candidate's home state and in or near the District of Columbia; or
(D) Expenses of individuals seeking to become delegates in the Presidential nomination process.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (l)(1) of this section, if the candidate, through an authorized committee, reimburses the multicandidate political committee within 30 days of becoming a candidate, the payment shall not be deemed an in-kind contribution for either entity, and the reimbursement shall be an expenditure of the candidate.