| AO-03-09 |
A candidate committee and two government entities may sponsor a municipal conference to educate and provide a networking opportunity for local officials since it would not involve the use of public resources for a political purpose, or constitute a campaign contribution.
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| AO-03-08 |
A printing and engraving corporation may give a discount for goods and services to a candidate for invitations to a political fundraising event where a candidate is employed by the corporation, if the discount is a bona fide fringe benefit of employment consistent with other discounts given to employees. The candidate�s political committee would need to report the receipt of an in-kind contribution from the candidate in the amount of the discount.
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| AO-03-07 |
This opinion addresses expenditures by a candidate committee where the candidate is leaving office, including expenditures for charitable contributions, political contributions, and gifts to staff and supporters. While many of the expenditures contemplated are appropriate subject to section 6 and the relevant regulations, a committee may not provide staff members with monetary gifts or payments for past services, or to supplement their income. A monetary payment should only be made to a staff member for work actually done and where the commonwealth is not otherwise paying for the service. A committee making payments to a staff member for professional services must keep detailed records.
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| AO-03-06 |
Subject to equal access, candidates and committees may post political notices, including invitations to political fundraisers, on a municipal website that is set up to permit groups and individuals to create a notice on any personal computer and then submit it to the webmaster for posting. Because approved notices are automatically generated and posted on the website, the process does not constitute improper political fundraising activity by an appointed public employee.
In addition, Section 14 is not implicated by the use of the "Town Crier" service because the process does not involve a political solicitation in an office occupied for a governmental purpose.
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| AO-03-05 |
The general counsel of a state agency will continue to be "employed for compensation" by the state after her resignation because of her plans to work part-time, on an hourly basis, for the agency until a couple of her existing cases are resolved. The attorney will be paid personally by the agency, and the agency will be her only client. The attorney will not be working as a member of a law firm and will not be establishing or joining a private legal practice. |
| AO-03-04 |
The prohibition against using public resources for a political purpose is not violated where public resources are used by state agencies to process union PAC payroll deductions since the primary purpose is to fulfill the state's obligation under existing collective bargaining agreements, not to promote the unions' PACs. As recommended in AO-97-01, however, the Commonwealth should be reimbursed for the costs incurred as the result of administering the plans to ensure compliance with Anderson. All political solicitations by public employee PACs must conform to various provisions of M.G.L. c. 55, specifically ss. 13-17. |
| AO-03-03 |
This opinion responds to a number of questions relating to the extent to which a PTO may be involved in a ballot question campaign.
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| AO-03-02 |
Even if Town Meeting has rejected a proposed Proposition 2½ debt exclusion, such determination by Town Meeting is not equivalent to a final determination by the voters in a town election to reject a ballot question. Therefore, where Town Meeting has rejected the proposed debt exclusion, a ballot question committee organized to support the question is not required to dissolve and may remain in existence to support a future ballot question that is consistent with the Committee's statement of purpose. |
| AO-03-01 |
There is nothing in the campaign finance law to preclude an organization from enacting a bylaw concerning annual contributions to its PAC, or from using a per member figure to determine the aggregate amount of the contributions up to the "incidental threshold" to the PAC during a calendar year. It is important, however, that the organization in establishing a bylaw to accomplish these goals, does not take on the role of a political committee by soliciting or receiving into its general treasury funds from members that are understood to be political contributions. To eliminate these concerns, the organizations bylaw should focus on its intent to make annual contributions to the PAC in an amount based on its total income from members, instead of emphasizing the diversion of a particular member's dues.
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