| AO-10-09 |
There is a $5,000 aggregate limit on the amount that may be contributed by a state party to a local party during a calendar
year (whether in money or in-kind). |
| AO-10-08 |
Contributions received by a candidate for governor and separately by a candidate for lieutenant
governor running as a team, may count toward the amount needed to qualify ($125,000) for public
financing, i.e., if a person contributes $250 or less during the election cycle to the gubernatorial
candidate, and also contributes $250 or less to the candidate for lieutenant governor, both
contributions may count toward the $125,000 requirement. |
| AO-10-07 |
Where a business owner displays campaign signs on the business’s trucks, and then tells the
candidate, this is an independent expenditure, and not a contribution. Merely informing the
candidate that he would be doing this does not mean that the expenditure was coordinated. |
| AO-10-06 |
A candidate owns a pub. He is also employed by a municipal Zoning Board of Appeals (for which
he receives a $75/month stipend) and is therefore a public employee subject to Section 13. As
such, he may not use his Pub as the venue for a fundraising event to benefit his campaign for
Governor’s Council, as that would involve indirect solicitation or receipt of contributions. |
| AO-10-05 |
A candidate may use Facebook to help raise funds. A link on the candidate’s Facebook page may
direct contributors to another website where the contribution is actually made, but only if the
committee receiving the contributions ensures that the contributions are received in a manner that
complies with the campaign finance law and are properly disclosed. |
| AO-10-04 |
Conference Center portion of the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (ICC) may be used for political
fundraising events. The conference center is separate and distinct from the residence portion of the
building, which is located in the upper floors. Although there is a resident assistant employed by the
university in the residence area, neither the resident assistant nor the students would be subjected to
political fundraising pressures since the fundraising events would be located in a separate part
of the building. |
| AO-10-03 |
Contributions may be received by text message, but only if the committee receiving the contributions
ensures that the contributions comply with the limits of the campaign finance law and are
properly disclosed. |
| AO-10-02 |
A candidate's committee may rent a school bus, that is personally owned by one of its supporters,
at fair market value, for use at campaign events. The committee may also pay the supporter to
decorate the bus with the campaign's signs and colors, however, the committee would then be obligated
to pay the supporter, at fair market value, for the advertising benefit received from the decorated bus
even on days the committee did not rent the bus for campaign events. If an individual volunteers
to drive the bus at campaign events, the driver's time and work would be a "personal
service" to the committee, which would not need to be disclosed on the committee's campaign
finance reports. |
| AO-10-01 |
The fact that the name of a partnership appears on a check given to a candidate's committee does
not necessarily mean the check is from the partnership. If the check, or other writing submitted
with the check, states that it was drawn on a partner's sub-account, the check may be used to
transmit the individual partner's contribution. |
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