Topics
Code Section
Virginia > Title 24.2 Elections > Campaign Finance Disclosure Act Of 2006 Article 4. Political Action Committees

§ 24.2-949.4 Political action committee treasurer requirements and responsibilities

Overview of Statute

This section describes political action committee treasurer requirements and responsibilities.

Statute

A. The treasurer shall keep detailed and accurate accounts of all contributions turned over to and expenditures made by the committee, the treasurer, or other officer on behalf of the political action committee, or reported to the treasurer pursuant to this chapter. Such account shall set forth the date of the contribution or expenditure, its amount or value, the name and address of the person or committee making the contribution or to whom the expenditure was made, and the object or purpose of the contribution or expenditure.

Such books and records may be destroyed or discarded at any time after (i) one year from the date of filing the final report required by § 24.2-949.9 or (ii) a period of three years, whichever first occurs, unless a court of competent jurisdiction shall order their retention for a longer period.

B. All receipts and expenditures received or made by any political action committee, or received or made on its behalf or in relation to the committee by any individual or person, except independent expenditures, shall be paid over or delivered to the political action committee’s treasurer or shall be reported to the treasurer in such detail and form as to allow him to comply fully with this article. An independent expenditure shall be reported pursuant to § 24.2-945.2 in lieu of being reported to the political action committee’s treasurer.

C. It shall be unlawful for any political action committee, its treasurer, or any person receiving contributions or making expenditures on the committee’s behalf or in relation to the committee, to fail to report every contribution and expenditure as required by this article.

D. No political action committee treasurer or other individual shall pay any expense on behalf of the committee, directly or indirectly, except by a check or electronic debit drawn on such designated depository identifying the name of the political action committee. However, a treasurer or other authorized officer of the political action committee may be reimbursed, by a check or electronic debit drawn on the designated depository, for the payment of expenses (i) paid by him by cash, check or electronic debit, or credit card, (ii) made on behalf of the committee, and (iii) fully documented by complete records of the expenditure, maintained as required by this chapter, and including receipts identifying the nature of the expenses and the names and addresses of each person paid by the recipient of the reimbursement.

E. A treasurer of a political action committee (i) may establish a petty cash fund to be utilized for the purpose of making expenditures or reimbursing verified credit card expenditures of less than $200 if complete records of such expenditures are maintained as required by this chapter and (ii) may transfer funds from the designated campaign depository to an account or instrument to earn interest on the funds so long as the transferred funds and earned interest are returned to the designated depository account, complete records are maintained, and all expenditures are made through the designated depository account.

2006, cc. 787, 892; 2020, c. 349.

Definition [Expenditure]

Money and services of any amount, and any other thing of value, paid, loaned, provided, or in any other way disbursed by any candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or person for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or by any inaugural committee for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Contribution]

Money and services of any amount, in-kind contributions, and any other thing of value, given, advanced, loaned, or in any other way provided to a candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or person for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or to an inaugural committee for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General. “Contribution” includes money, services, or things of value in any way provided by a candidate to his own campaign and the payment by the candidate of a filing fee for any party nomination method.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Independent expenditure]

An expenditure made by any person, candidate campaign committee, or political committee that is not made to, controlled by, coordinated with, or made with the authorization of a candidate, his campaign committee, or an agent of the candidate or his campaign committee. “Independent expenditure” includes an expenditure made by a candidate campaign committee (i) that is not related to the candidate’s own campaign and (ii) that is not made to, controlled by, coordinated with, or made with the authorization of a different candidate, his campaign committee, or an agent of that candidate or his campaign committee.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Political action committee]

Any organization, person, or group of persons, established or maintained to receive and expend contributions for the primary purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate. The term shall not include a campaign committee, federal political action committee, out-of-state political committee, political party committee, referendum committee, or inaugural committee.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Person]

Any individual or corporation, partnership, business, labor organization, membership organization, association, cooperative, or other like entity.

For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “person” shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under § 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular candidate, group of candidates, or the candidates of a particular political party.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Cases

Virginia Cases

Case Name: Waldrop v. Com.

Citation: 478 S.E.2d 723

Year: 1996

Case URL: https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/65dcf369e757a2da35ba9030c73403f6

Case Summary: Holding that money in excess of $100 received by candidate after election to defray expenses of recount was a campaign contribution within meaning section of Fair Election Practices Act, which requires candidates for local office to file reports with the local electoral board listing all contributions over $100 in relation to his candidacy.

Out-of-State Cases

Federal Cases

Additional Resources

Useful Links