Section 32 Violations; revocation of registration; fines and penalties; injunctions
Section 32. (a) If any registered charitable organization, professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor fails to file any registration application or statement, annual report or other information required to be filed by the division under sections eighteen to thirty-five, inclusive, the division may notify the delinquent charitable organization, professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitor by mailing a notice by registered mail to its last known address. If the required registration application or statement, annual report or other information is not filed within two weeks after the formal notification of receipt of such notice, the division may cancel or suspend the registration of such delinquent charitable organization, professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor.
(b) If as the result of an investigation the division finds that any information contained in any application required under sections eighteen to thirty-five, inclusive, is false or misleading or that a registrant under said sections has violated said sections, it may, subject to the provisions of section thirteen of chapter thirty A of the General Laws, suspend or cancel the registration and revoke the certificate of registration.
(c) The registration of any charitable organization, professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor which or who knowingly makes a false statement in any registration application or statement, annual report or other information required to be filed by the division or sections eighteen to thirty-five, inclusive, may, subject to the provisions of section thirteen of chapter thirty A of the General Laws, be revoked by the division.
(d) Any person who knowingly violates any provision of sections nineteen to thirty-five, inclusive, or who willfully and knowingly gives false or incorrect information to the division in filing statements or reports required by said sections, whether such report or statement is verified or not, may be fined not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
(e) Whenever the attorney general or any district attorney has reason to believe that any charitable organization, professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor is operating in violation of the provisions of sections eighteen to thirty-five, inclusive, or has knowingly and willfully made any false statement in any registration application or statement, report or other information required to be filed under said sections, or whenever a charitable organization has failed to file a registration statement required under said sections, or whenever there is employed or is about to be employed in any solicitation or collection of contributions for a charitable organization any unfair or deceptive acts or practices, as defined by chapter ninety-three A, or any device, scheme or artifice to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of any false pretense, representation or promise, or whenever any of the principal officers of any charitable organization have refused or failed after notice to produce any records of such organization, in addition to all other actions authorized by law, the attorney general or district attorney may bring an action in the name of the commonwealth against such charitable organization and its officers, such professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor or any other person who has violated said sections or who has participated or is about to participate in any solicitation or collection by employing any unfair or deceptive acts or practices, as defined by said chapter ninety-three A, or any device, scheme, artifice, false representation or promise, to defraud or obtain money or other property, to enjoin such charitable organization or professional fund-raising counsel, commercial co-venturer or professional solicitor or other person from continuing such violation, solicitation or collection or engaging therein or doing any acts in furtherance thereof and for such other relief as to the court seems appropriate.