11 CFR § 9007.2 - Repayments.
(a) General.
(1) A candidate who has received payments from the Fund under 11 CFR part 9005 shall pay the United States Treasury any amounts which the Commission determines to be repayable under this section. In making repayment determinations under this section, the Commission may utilize information obtained from audits and examinations conducted pursuant to 11 CFR 9007.1 or otherwise obtained by the Commission in carrying out its responsibilities under this subchapter.
(2) The Commission will notify the candidate of any repayment determinations made under this section as soon as possible, but not later than 3 years after the day of the presidential election. The Commission's issuance of the audit report to the candidate under 11 CFR 9007.1(d) will constitute notification for purposes of this section.
(3) Once the candidate receives notice of the Commission's repayment determination under this section, the candidate should give preference to the repayment over all other outstanding obligations of his or her committee, except for any federal taxes owed by the committee.
(4) Repayments may be made only from the following sources: personal funds of the candidate (without regard to the limitations of 11 CFR 9003.2(c)), contributions and federal funds in the committee's account(s), and any additional funds raised subject to the limitations and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended.
(b) Bases for repayment. The Commission may determine that an eligible candidate of a political party who has received payments from the Fund must repay the United States Treasury under any of the circumstances described below.
(1) Payments in excess of candidate's entitlement. If the Commission determines that any portion of the payments made to the candidate was in excess of the aggregate payments to which such candidate was entitled, it will so notify the candidate, and such candidate shall pay to the United States Treasury an amount equal to such portion.
(2) Use of funds for non-qualified campaign expenses.
(i) If the Commission determines that any amount of any payment to an eligible candidate from the Fund was used for purposes other than those described in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) (A) through (C) of this section, it will notify the candidate of the amount so used, and such candidate shall pay to the United States Treasury an amount equal to such amount.
(A) To defray qualified campaign expenses;
(B) To repay loans, the proceeds of which were used to defray qualified campaign expenses; and
(C) To restore funds (other than contributions which were received and expended by minor or new party candidates to defray qualified campaign expenses) which were used to defray qualified campaign expenses.
(ii) Examples of Commission repayment determinations under 11 CFR 9007.2(b)(2) include, but are not limited to the following:
(A) Determinations that a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee(s) or agent(s) have incurred expenses in excess of the aggregate payments to which an eligible major party candidate is entitled;
(B) Determinations that amounts spent by a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee(s) or agent(s) from the Fund were not documented in accordance with 11 CFR 9003.5;
(C) Determinations that any portion of the payments made to a candidate from the Fund was expended in violation of State or Federal law; and
(D) Determinations that any portion of the payments made to a candidate from the Fund was used to defray expenses resulting from a violation of State or Federal law, such as the payment of fines or penalties.
(iii) In the case of a candidate who has received contributions pursuant to 11 CFR 9003.3 (b) or (c), the amount of any repayment sought under this section shall bear the same ratio to the total amount determined to have been used for non-qualified campaign expenses as the amount of payments certified to the candidate from the Fund bears to the total deposits, as of December 31 of the Presidential election year. For purposes of this section, total deposits means all deposits to all candidate accounts minus transfers between accounts, refunds, rebates, reimbursements, checks returned for insufficient funds, proceeds of loans and other similar amounts.
(3) Surplus. If the Commission determines that a portion of payments from the Fund remains unspent after all qualified campaign expenses have been paid, it shall so notify the candidate, and such candidate shall pay the United States Treasury that portion of surplus funds.
(4) Income on investment or other use of payments from the Fund. If the Commission determines that a candidate received any income as a result of an investment or other use of payments from the fund pursuant to 11 CFR 9004.5, it shall so notify the candidate, and such candidate shall pay to the United States Treasury an amount equal to the amount determined to be income, less any Federal, State or local taxes on such income.
(5) Unlawful acceptance of contributions by an eligible candidate of a major party. If the Commission determines that an eligible candidate of a major party, the candidate's authorized committee(s) or agent(s) accepted contributions to defray qualified campaign expenses (other than contributions to make up deficiencies in payments from the Fund, or to defray expenses incurred for legal and accounting services in accordance with 11 CFR 9003.3(a)), it shall notify the candidate of the amount of contributions so accepted, and the candidate shall pay to the United States Treasury an amount equal to such amount.
(c) Repayment determination procedures. The Commission's repayment determination will be made in accordance with the procedures set forth at paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4) of this section.
(1) Repayment determination. The Commission will provide the candidate with a written notice of its repayment determination(s). This notice will be included in the Commission's audit report prepared pursuant to 11 CFR 9007.1(d) and will set forth the legal and factual reasons for such determination(s), as well as the evidence upon which any such determination is based. The candidate shall repay to the United States Treasury in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, the amount which the Commission has determined to be repayable.
(2) Administrative review of repayment determination. If a candidate disputes the Commission's repayment determination(s), he or she may request an administrative review of the determination(s) as set forth in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section.
(i) Submission of written materials. A candidate who disputes the Commission's repayment determination(s) shall submit in writing, within 60 calendar days after service of the Commission's notice, legal and factual materials demonstrating that no repayment, or a lesser repayment, is required. Such materials may be submitted by counsel if the candidate so desires. The candidate's failure to timely raise an issue in written materials presented pursuant to this paragraph will be deemed a waiver of the candidate's right to raise the issue at any future stage of proceedings including any petition for review filed under 26 U.S.C. 9011(a).
(ii) Oral hearing. A candidate who submits written materials pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section may at the same time request in writing that the Commission provide such candidate with an opportunity to address the Commission in open session to demonstrate that no repayment, or a lesser repayment, is required. The candidate should identify in this request the repayment issues he or she wants to address at the oral hearing. If the Commission decides by an affirmative vote of four (4) of its members to grant the candidate's request, it will inform the candidate of the date and time set for the oral hearing. At the date and time set by the Commission, the candidate or candidate's designated representative will be allotted an amount of time in which to make an oral presentation to the Commission based upon the legal and factual materials submitted under paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section. The candidate or representative will also have the opportunity to answer any questions from individual members of the Commission.
(3) Repayment determination upon review. In deciding whether to revise any repayment determination(s) following an administrative review pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the Commission will consider any submission made under paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section and any oral hearing conducted under paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, and may also consider any new or additional information from other sources. A determination following an administrative review that a candidate must repay a certain amount will be accompanied by a written statement of reasons supporting the Commission's determination(s). This statement will explain the legal and factual reasons underlying the Commission's determination(s) and will summarize the results of any investigation(s) upon which the determination(s) are based.
(d) Repayment period.
(1) Within 90 calendar days of service of the notice of the Commission's repayment determination(s), the candidate shall repay to the United States Treasury the amounts which the Commission has determined to be repayable. Upon application by the candidate, the Commission may grant an extension of up to 90 calendar days in which to make repayment.
(2) If the candidate requests an administrative review of the Commission's repayment determination(s) under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the time for repayment will be suspended until the Commission has concluded its administrative review of the repayment determination(s). Within 30 calendar days after service of the notice of the Commission's post-administrative review repayment determination(s), the candidate shall repay to the United States Treasury the amounts which the Commission has determined to be repayable. Upon application by the candidate, the Commission may grant an extension of up to 90 calendar days in which to make repayment.
(3) Interest shall be assessed on all repayments made after the initial 90-day repayment period established at paragraph (d)(1) of this section or the 30-day repayment period established at paragraph (d)(2) of this section. The amount of interest due shall be the greater of:
(i) An amount calculated in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 1961 (a) and (b); or
(ii) The amount actually earned on the funds set aside or to be repaid under this section.
(e) Computation of time. The time periods established by this section shall be computed in accordance with 11 CFR 111.2.
(f) Additional repayments. Nothing in this section will prevent the Commission from making additional repayment determinations on one or more of the bases set forth at 11 CFR 9007.2(b) after it has made a repayment determination on any such basis. The Commission may make additional repayment determinations where there exist facts not used as the basis for any previous determination. Any such additional repayment determination will be made in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(g) Newly-discovered assets. If, after any repayment determination made under this section, a candidate or his or her authorized committee(s) receives or becomes aware of assets not previously included in any statement of net outstanding qualified campaign expenses submitted pursuant to 11 CFR 9004.9, the candidate or his or her authorized committee(s) shall promptly notify the Commission of such newly-discovered assets. Newly-discovered assets may include refunds, rebates, late-arriving receivables, and actual receipts for capital assets in excess of the value specified in any previously-submitted statement of net outstanding qualified campaign expenses. Newly-discovered assets may serve as a basis for additional repayment determinations under 11 CFR 9007.2(f).
(h) Limit on repayment. No repayment shall be required from the eligible candidates of a political party under 11 CFR 9007.2 to the extent that such repayment, when added to other repayments required from such candidates under 11 CFR 9007.2, exceeds the amount of payments received by such candidates under 11 CFR 9005.2.
(i) Petitions for rehearing; stays pending appeal. The candidate may file a petition for rehearing of a repayment determination in accordance with 11 CFR 9007.5(a). The candidate may request a stay of a repayment determination in accordance with 11 CFR 9007.5(c) pending the candidate's appeal of that repayment determination.