D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 3, r. 3-4203

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Rule 3-4203 - PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

4203.1

Candidates seeking certification and participating candidates of the Fair Elections Program shall designate one (1) principal campaign committee, per covered office, per election cycle.

4203.2

Only a candidate's designated principal campaign committee and its authorized committees shall accept contributions or make expenditures on behalf of that candidate.

4203.3

A candidate's designation of a committee on the candidate's Statement of Candidacy form filed under §4201.2 constitutes agreement to form a political committee.

4203.4

Any political committee designated by a candidate on the Statement of Candidacy form filed under §4201.2 to receive contributions or make expenditures on behalf of the candidate, shall include the name of the candidate for elective office in the District of Columbia in its name.

4203.5

Each Principal Campaign committee shall file a Statement of Organization form, prescribed by the Director of the Office of Campaign Finance (the Director) (OCF), within ten (10) days of organization.

4203.6

A Principal Campaign committee shall amend its Statement of Organization within ten (10) days of any change in the information previously reported on its Statement of Organization.

4203.7

If a Principal Campaign committee that has filed at least one (1) Statement of Organization disbands or determines that it will no longer receive contributions or make expenditures during a calendar year, it must so notify the Director immediately and file a final Report of Receipts & Expenditures (R&E Report).

4203.8

A Principal Campaign committee shall have a chairperson and a treasurer, and may elect to list a designated agent, in the Statement of Organization filed pursuant to § 4203.5.

4203.9

No person may simultaneously serve as the chairperson and treasurer of a Principal Campaign committee, except a candidate.

4203.10

A chairperson shall be required to file a Statement of Acceptance of Position of Chairperson form with the Director within five (5) days of assuming the office.

4203.11

A chairperson shall be required to file a Statement of Withdrawal of Position of Chairperson form with the Director within five (5) days of vacating the office.

4203.12

A treasurer shall be required to file a Statement of Acceptance of Position of Treasurer form with the Director within forty-eight (48) hours of assuming the office.

4203.13

A treasurer shall be required to appear in person at the Office of Campaign Finance to attend a training program pursuant to § 4202 of this chapter within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting the Statement of Acceptance of Treasurer form in accordance with § 4203.12, or as otherwise scheduled by OCF.

4203.14

A treasurer shall be required to file a Statement of Withdrawal of Position of Treasurer form with the Director within forty-eight (48) hours of vacating the office.

4203.15

When either the office of chairperson or treasurer is vacant, the Principal Campaign committee shall:

(a) Designate a successor chairperson or treasurer within five (5) days of the vacancy; and

(b) Amend its Statement of Organization within ten (10) days of the designation of the successor; provided that the successor officer agrees to accept the position.

4203.16

The treasurer of a Principal Campaign committee shall obtain and preserve receipted bills and records in accordance with §3400.2 of Chapter 34 of this title.

4203.17

A Principal Campaign committee shall neither accept a contribution nor make expenditure while the office of treasurer is vacant, and no other person has been designated and agreed to perform the functions of treasurer.

4203.18

Each expenditure made for, or on behalf of, a Principal Campaign committee shall be authorized by either:

(a) The chairperson;

(b) The treasurer; or

(c) Their designated agent, as listed on the Statement of Organization filed under §4203.5.

4203.19

No expenditures may be made by a Principal Campaign committee except by check drawn or electronic transfer payable to the person to whom the expenditure is being made on the account at a bank designated by the Principal Campaign committee as its depository in its Statement of Organization.

4203.20

A detailed account of each contribution or expenditure received or made on behalf of a Principal Campaign committee shall be submitted to the treasurer of such committee within five (5) days of the receipt of the contribution or the making of the expenditure upon the treasurer's demand.

4203.21

The detailed account submitted pursuant to § 4203.20 shall include:

(a) The amount of the contribution or expenditure;

(b) The name, telephone number, and address (including the occupation and principal place of business, if any) of the contributor or the person (including a business entity) to whom the expenditure was made;

(c) The date of the contribution; and

(d) In the case of an expenditure, the office sought by the candidate on whose behalf the expenditure was made, if applicable.

4203.22

All funds of a Principal Campaign committee shall be segregated from, and may not be commingled with, the candidate's, or anyone's personal funds.

4203.23

Each Principal Campaign committee accepting contributions or making expenditures shall:

(a) Designate one or more national banks located in the District of Columbia as the committee's depository or depositories.

(b) Maintain a checking account or accounts at such depository or depositories; and

(c) Deposit any contribution received by the committee into that account or accounts.

4203.24

The principal campaign committee shall process contributions in the following manner:

(a) Contributions received by check, money order, or other written instrument shall be cosigned directly to the principal campaign committee;

(b) All monetary contributions must be accepted and deposited, or rejected and returned to a contributor, within twenty (20) business days after receipt except contributions made in the form of cash must be accepted and deposited, or rejected and returned to a contributor, within ten (10) business days after receipt;

(c) All contributions that are accepted and deposited are subject to the contribution limits and prohibitions and must be reported to the Office of Campaign Finance. Except as provided in § 4207.9 of this chapter, if a candidate returns a contribution after it is deposited, the return must be reported to the Office of Campaign Finance;

(d) The proceeds of any monetary instruments listed in subsection (a) that have been cashed or redeemed by the candidate pursuant to § 4201.5 shall be disallowed by the principal campaign committee and returned by the candidate to the donor.

4203.25

No contributions shall be commingled with the candidate's personal funds or accounts

4203.26

Except as provided in § 4203.1 an existing committee shall not be designated as the principal campaign committee of a candidate for public office, including the designation of any previously designated principal campaign committee of a candidate, or a slate of candidates for election as officials of a political party, in any future election.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 3, r. 3-4203

Final Rulemaking published at 66 DCR 6632 (5/31/2019); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 66 DCR 013373 (10/11/2019); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 68 DCR 1896 (2/12/2021)