HB 1459

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Prohibits the conversion of any contributed moneys, securities, or like intangible personal property by any person to the personal use of a candidate or a member of the candidate's immediate family, if such use is for a strictly personal purpose with no reasonable or foreseeable benefit to the candidate's campaign or public office. Complaints of alleged violations may be made by any person who contributes to the candidate or candidate's campaign committee to the State Board of Elections. The subject of the complaint has 30 days to provide to the State Board documentation or other evidence that the use of the campaign funds had a reasonable or foreseeable benefit to the campaign or the candidate's public office. The State Board shall call a hearing if it determines, after reviewing any response made by the subject of the complaint, that the use of campaign funds had no reasonable or foreseeable benefit to the campaign or the candidate's public office. If the complaining party declines to participate in the hearing, the complaint shall be dismissed. A person found by the State Board to have willfully and knowingly violated this section shall repay to the campaign committee the amount unlawfully converted to the personal use of the candidate or a member of the candidate's immediate family and shall return to the complaining party the full amount of the complaining party's contribution to the campaign. The State Board may also assess an additional civil penalty, in an amount not to exceed $100.