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Chapter 10A

Section 10A.27

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10A.27 Contribution limits.

Subdivision 1. Contribution limits. (a) Except as provided in subdivision 2, a candidate must not permit the candidate's principal campaign committee to accept aggregate contributions made or delivered by any individual, political committee, or political fund in excess of the following:

(1) to candidates for governor and lieutenant governor running together, $2,000 in an election year for the office sought and $500 in other years;

(2) to a candidate for attorney general, $1,000 in an election year for the office sought and $200 in other years;

(3) to a candidate for the office of secretary of state or state auditor, $500 in an election year for the office sought and $100 in other years;

(4) to a candidate for state senator, $500 in an election year for the office sought and $100 in other years; and

(5) to a candidate for state representative, $500 in an election year for the office sought and $100 in the other year.

(b) The following deliveries are not subject to the bundling limitation in this subdivision:

(1) delivery of contributions collected by a member of the candidate's principal campaign committee, such as a block worker or a volunteer who hosts a fund-raising event, to the committee's treasurer; and

(2) a delivery made by an individual on behalf of the individual's spouse.

(c) A lobbyist, political committee, political party unit, or political fund must not make a contribution a candidate is prohibited from accepting.

Subd. 2. Political party and dissolving principal campaign committee limit. A candidate must not permit the candidate's principal campaign committee to accept contributions from any political party units or dissolving principal campaign committees in aggregate in excess of ten times the amount that may be contributed to that candidate as set forth in subdivision 1. The limitation in this subdivision does not apply to a contribution from a dissolving principal campaign committee of a candidate for the legislature to another principal campaign committee of the same candidate.

Subd. 3. Repealed, 1978 c 463 s 109

Subd. 4. Repealed by amendment, 1999 c 220 s 34

Subd. 5. Repealed by amendment, 1999 c 220 s 34

Subd. 6. Repealed, 1993 c 318 art 2 s 51

Subd. 7. Repealed by amendment, 1999 c 220 s 34

Subd. 8. Excess loans prohibited. A candidate must not permit the candidate's principal campaign committee to accept a loan from other than a financial institution for an amount in excess of the contribution limits imposed by this section. A candidate must not permit the candidate's principal campaign committee to accept a loan from a financial institution for which the financial institution may hold an endorser of the loan liable to pay an amount in excess of the amount that the endorser may contribute to that candidate.

Subd. 9. Contributions to and from other candidates. (a) A candidate or the treasurer of a candidate's principal campaign committee must not accept a contribution from another candidate's principal campaign committee or from any other committee bearing the contributing candidate's name or title or otherwise authorized by the contributing candidate, unless the contributing candidate's principal campaign committee is being dissolved. A candidate's principal campaign committee must not make a contribution to another candidate's principal campaign committee, except when the contributing committee is being dissolved.

(b) A principal campaign committee that makes a contribution to another principal campaign committee must provide with the contribution a written statement of the committee's intent to dissolve and terminate its registration within 12 months after the contribution was made. If the committee fails to dissolve and terminate its registration by that time, the board may levy a civil penalty up to four times the size of the contribution against the contributing committee. A contribution from a terminating principal campaign committee that is not accepted by another principal campaign committee must be forwarded to the board for deposit in the general account of the state elections campaign fund.

(c) A candidate's principal campaign committee must not accept a contribution from, or make a contribution to, a committee associated with a person who seeks nomination or election to the office of president, senator, or representative in Congress of the United States.

(d) A candidate or the treasurer of a candidate's principal campaign committee must not accept a contribution from a candidate for political subdivision office in any state, unless the contribution is from the personal funds of the candidate for political subdivision office. A candidate or the treasurer of a candidate's principal campaign committee must not make a contribution from the principal campaign committee to a candidate for political subdivision office in any state.

Subd. 10. Limited personal contributions. A candidate who accepts a public subsidy may not contribute to the candidate's own campaign during a year more than ten times the candidate's election year contribution limit under subdivision 1.

Subd. 11. Contributions from certain types of contributors. A candidate must not permit the candidate's principal campaign committee to accept a contribution from a political committee, political fund, lobbyist, or large contributor, if the contribution will cause the aggregate contributions from those types of contributors to exceed an amount equal to 20 percent of the expenditure limits for the office sought by the candidate, provided that the 20 percent limit must be rounded to the nearest $100. For purposes of this subdivision, "large contributor" means an individual, other than the candidate, who contributes an amount that is more than $100 and more than one-half the amount an individual may contribute.

Subd. 12. Repealed by amendment, 1999 c 220 s 34

Subd. 13. Unregistered association limit; statement; penalty. (a) The treasurer of a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit must not accept a contribution of more than $100 from an association not registered under this chapter unless the contribution is accompanied by a written statement that meets the disclosure and reporting period requirements imposed by section 10A.20. This statement must be certified as true and correct by an officer of the contributing association. The committee, fund, or party unit that accepts the contribution must include a copy of the statement with the report that discloses the contribution to the board. This subdivision does not apply when a national political party contributes money to its affiliate in this state.

(b) An unregistered association may provide the written statement required by this subdivision to no more than three committees, funds, or party units in a calendar year. Each statement must cover at least the 30 days immediately preceding and including the date on which the contribution was made. An unregistered association or an officer of it is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000, if the association or its officer:

(1) fails to provide a written statement as required by this subdivision; or

(2) fails to register after giving the written statement required by this subdivision to more than three committees, funds, or party units in a calendar year.

(c) The treasurer of a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit who accepts a contribution in excess of $100 from an unregistered association without the required written disclosure statement is subject to a civil penalty up to four times the amount in excess of $100.

HIST: 1974 c 470 s 22,27; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1976 c 307 s 24; 1978 c 463 s 62-65,76-82; 1978 c 793 s 38; 1986 c 444; 1990 c 608 art 3 s 8,17,18; 1991 c 349 s 17; 1993 c 318 art 2 s 26-31; 1Sp1993 c 3 s 2; 1996 c 305 art 1 s 1; 1999 c 220 s 34,50; 2002 c 363 s 26-30; 2005 c 156 art 6 s 7

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Revisor of Statutes