Political Reform Act of 1974: candidate controlled committees: campaign statements

The law increases public disclosure of how some officeholder-controlled campaign funds are spent, including potential financial ties to candidates’ families or staff.

What the law does ​

• Requires extra reporting when a qualifying committee pays one person at least $20,000 total during a reporting period.
• Applies when the controlling candidate will not be on the next ballot and the committee is not for that candidate’s reelection to the same office.
• Excludes contributions and credit-card payments from the added reporting requirement.
• Requires the report to state the specific political, legislative, or governmental purpose served by the payment.
• Requires disclosure when the payee or a reportable subvendor is the candidate’s immediate family member, paid campaign or officeholder staff member, or an immediate family member of that staff member.

Who it affects ​

• Candidate-controlled committees meeting the payment, ballot-status, and committee-purpose conditions.
• Candidates controlling those committees.
• Payees and reportable subvendors with specified family or staff relationships to the candidate.