Any person may request an advisory opinion concerning the specific application of the campaign finance law or OCPF's regulations.  All advisory opinion requests must be in writing and may be submitted by fax, mail or e-mail.

Advisory opinion requests should include the following:

• The requesting party's name, address and phone number;
  
  
• A description of a specific activity or transaction that has not yet occurred;
  
  
• A specific question or questions about the proposed activity or transaction; and
  
  
• Any accompanying data, views or arguments that the requesting person deems pertinent.

The Director will review all requests for Advisory Opinions.  He may request that additional or more specific information or questions be submitted by the requesting person.  After reviewing the request, the Director may determine that:

• A particular request for an advisory opinion poses issues which are not within his jurisdiction;
  
  
• The questions posed are not appropriate to an advisory opinion; or
  
  
• Sufficient information has not been provided by the requesting person.

In the event that the Director determines that an Advisory Opinion is not warranted, he may choose to decline to issue the opinion.  If the Director declines to issue an opinion, he will, within a reasonable time, notify the requesting person that the advisory opinion will not be rendered.  Otherwise, an Advisory Opinion will be rendered in a timely fashion.

All advisory opinion requests and all advisory opinions shall be public records, under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, and shall be subject to public inspection as required by M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.

To request an Advisory Opinion, simply file a request in writing with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.  Requests are accepted:

• via US Mail:
  Office of Campaign and Political Finance
  One Ashburton Place, Room 411
  Boston, MA 02108
  Attention:  Advisory Opinion request
  
  
• via fax:  (617) 727-6549 or
  
  
• via e-mail:  ocpf@cpf.state.ma.us