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§3-716: Application of the contribution and expenditure limitations to certain political activities

1. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict candidates or their agents from making appearances at events sponsored or paid for by persons, political committees, or other entities that are not in any way affiliated with such candidate or any agent of such candidate. The costs of such events shall not be considered contributions to or expenditures by such a candidate pursuant to this chapter solely because such an appearance is made; provided that this subdivision shall not apply to any event in relation to which contributions are solicited on behalf of such candidate.

2. The following activities in support of other candidates by a participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate or his or her principal committee shall not be considered contributions to or expenditures by such participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate or his or her principal committee, except to the extent such activities are paid for by such candidate or his or her principal committee for a covered election:

(a) The act alone of endorsing or appearing with another candidate for public office, party nomination or party position.

(b) The insubstantial communication of such endorsement or appearance described in paragraph (a), such as where the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s name is one of several names appearing on the communication and is of equivalent prominence as the other names.

(c) Fundraising assistance to another candidate in the form of written communications that do not promote the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate, such as the appearance of the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s name or signature on a letter soliciting funds for another candidate or the appearance of such participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s name on fundraising material where such participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s name appears alone or with other names and is of equivalent prominence as the other names.

(d) A typical communication by a political club to its members, which includes the name of a participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate, provided that such candidate is already a member of the political club, the political club has fewer than 500 members, and the communication does not solicit funds on behalf of or otherwise promote such candidate’s campaign for a covered election.

3. The communication of an endorsement or appearance which is not insubstantial under paragraph (b) of subdivision two, fundraising assistance which is promotional under paragraph (c) of subdivision two and a political club communication which does not meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of subdivision two, shall be contributions to and expenditures by the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate. Among the factors the board shall consider in determining the value of the contribution to and expenditure by the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate are the following factors:

(a) the focus of the communication;

(b) the geographical distribution or location of the communication;

(c) the subject matter of the communication;

(d) the references to the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate or the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s appearances in the communication;

(e) the relative prominence of a participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate’s references or appearances in the communication, including the size and location of such references and any photographs of the participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate; and

(f) the timing of the communication.