Iowa Admin. Code r. 351-4.25 - Legitimate expenditures of campaign funds
(1) Expenses which may be paid from
campaign funds for campaign purposes include, but are not limited to,
the following items so long as the items promote or enhance the
candidacy of the candidate:
a.
Electronic media advertising, such as radio, cable television and
commercial television.
b.
Published advertising, such as newspaper, magazine, newsletter and
shopper advertising.
c.
Printed promotional materials, such as brochures, leaflets, flyers,
invitations, stationery, envelopes, reply cards, return envelopes,
campaign business cards, direct mailings, postcards and "cowboy"
political cards.
d.
Political signs, such as yard signs, car signs, portable outdoor
advertising, stationary outdoor advertising and billboards.
e. Political advertising specialty
items, such as campaign buttons, campaign stickers, bumper stickers,
campaign pins, pencils, pens, matchbooks, balloons, scratch pads,
calendars, magnets, key chains, and articles of clothing that are
political advertising.
f.
Travel and lodging expenses of the campaign workers for campaign
purposes and political party activities. Travel and lodging expenses
for a candidate to attend a national political party convention are
also permitted.
g.
Contributions to political party committees.
h. The purchase of tickets to a
meal for the candidate and one guest so long as the attendance at the
meal by the candidate and guest is for the sole purpose of enhancing
the candidacy of any person.
i. General campaign expenditures,
such as printing, copy machine charges, office supplies, campaign
photographs, gambling permits, fund-raiser prizes, postage stamps,
postage meter costs, bulk mail permits, telephone installation and
service, facsimile charges, and computer services. However, the
purchase or rental of formal wear to attend a political event is not
a permissible general campaign expenditure.
j. Purchase or lease of campaign
equipment, such as copy machines, telephones, facsimile machines,
computer hardware, software and printers.
k. Purchase or lease of campaign
office space, parking lots or storage space and the payment for
campaign office utilities and maintenance.
l. Payment of salaries, fringe
benefits, bonuses, and payroll taxes of paid campaign staff. As
provided in Iowa Code section
68A.302(2)
"k," family members who perform actual work or
services for a campaign and are not the candidate, candidate's
spouse, or candidate's dependent children may be compensated for such
work or services.
m.
Payment for check printing and financial institution banking service
charges.
n. Lease or
rental of a campaign vehicle, provided that a detailed trip log which
provides dates, miles driven, destination and purpose is maintained,
and that noncampaign miles are reimbursed to the committee at an
amount not to exceed the current rate of reimbursement allowed under
the standard mileage rate for computations of business expenses
pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. However, the purchase of a
campaign vehicle is prohibited.
o. Reimbursement to candidates and
campaign workers for mileage driven for campaign purposes in a
personal vehicle, provided that a detailed trip log which provides
dates, miles driven, destination and purpose is maintained, and that
reimbursement is paid at an amount not to exceed the current rate of
reimbursement allowed under the standard mileage rate for
computations of business expenses pursuant to the Internal Revenue
Code.
p. Payment for food
expenses and supplies for campaign-related activities, such as the
purchase of food, beverages and table service for fund-raising events
or campaign volunteers. However, except as provided in
paragraph"h," the purchase of tickets for meals or
fund-raising events for other candidates is prohibited, and the
purchase of groceries for the candidate or candidate's family is also
prohibited. Payment for meals for the candidate (other than those
involving tickets for fund-raiser events as addressed in
paragraph"h") is permitted as an allowable
expenditure for campaign purposes if the meal was associated with
campaign-related activities.
q. Payment of civil penalties and
hearing costs assessed by the board.
r. Payment for the services of
attorneys, accountants, consultants or other professional persons
when those services relate to campaign activities.
s. Subscriptions to newspapers and
periodicals that circulate within the area represented by the office
that a candidate is seeking or holds, that contain information of a
general nature about the state of Iowa, or that contain information
useful to all candidates such as The Wall Street Journal and Roll
Call. Candidates who are unsure whether a subscription is permissible
shall seek guidance from the board prior to paying for the
subscription with campaign funds.
t. Membership in service
organizations including a local chamber of commerce that the
candidate joins solely for the purpose of enhancing the candidate's
candidacy.
u. Repayment
of campaign loans made to the committee. Candidates who make loans to
their own committees shall not charge interest on the
loans.
v. Purchase of
reports of other candidates and political committees so long as the
reports' contents are not used for solicitation or commercial
purposes.
w. Donations to
charitable organizations unless the candidate or the candidate's
spouse, child, stepchild, brother, brother-in-law, stepbrother,
sister, sister-in-law, stepsister, parent, parent-in-law, or
stepparent is employed by the charitable organization and will
receive a direct financial benefit from a donation.
x. Contributions to federal, state,
county and city political party committees.
y. Refunds to contributors when a
contribution has been accepted in error, or when a committee chooses
to dispose of leftover funds by refunding them in prorated shares to
the original contributors.
z. Payment for items with a
purchase price not to exceed $250 per person that are presented to
committee workers in recognition of services to the
committee.
aa. Expenses
incurred with respect to an election recount as provided in Iowa Code
section
50.48.
bb. The sharing of information in
any format such as computer databases containing yard sign locations
or lists of registered voters with another candidate's
committee.
(2)
Expenses which may be paid from campaign funds for educational and
other expenses associated with the duties of office include, but are
not limited to, the following items:
a. Purchase or lease of office
supplies and equipment, such as paper, copy machines, telephones,
facsimile machines, computer hardware, software and
printers.
b. Travel,
lodging and registration expenses associated with attendance at an
educational conference of a state, national, or regional organization
whose memberships and officers are primarily composed of state or
local government officials or employees. However, meal expenses are
not allowable as expenses associated with the duties of office under
any circumstances.
c.
Meals and other expenses incurred in connection with attending a
local meeting to which the officeholder is invited and attends due to
the officeholder's official position as an elected
official.
d. Purchases of
small, incidental items such as pencils, pens, rulers and bookmarks
provided to members of the public touring the offices of the state or
a political subdivision. However, such items distributed on public
property shall not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a
candidate or the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue as prohibited
in Iowa Code section
68A.505.
For example, a bookmark bearing the state seal could be distributed
on public property, while a bookmark that identified the donor as a
candidate for office could not be distributed on public
property.
e. Gifts
purchased for foreign dignitaries when the officeholder is part of an
official trip out of the country such as a trade mission or exchange
program.
f. Printing of
additional stationery and supplies above the standard allotment of
the state or political subdivision.
(3) Expenses which may be paid from
campaign funds for constituency services include, but are not limited
to, the following items:
a. Mailings
and newsletters sent to constituents.
b. Polls and surveys conducted to
determine constituent opinions.
c. Travel expenses incurred in
communicating with members of an elected official's constituency,
provided that a detailed trip log which provides dates, miles driven,
destination and purpose is maintained, and that reimbursement is paid
at an amount not to exceed the current rate of reimbursement allowed
under the standard mileage rate for computations of business expenses
pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. However, meal expenses are not
allowable as expenses associated with constituency services under any
circumstances.
d. Holiday
and other greeting cards sent to constituents.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 68A.301, 68A.302, and 68A.303.
Notes
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