Section 169.221 - Candidate committee or committee other than candidate committee; treasurer; service of process; official depository for contributions; secondary depositories; requirements for accept
MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 388 of 1976
169.221 Candidate committee or committee other than candidate committee; treasurer; service of process; official depository for contributions; secondary depositories; requirements for accepting contributions or making expenditures; vacancy in office of treasurer; authorizing expenditure; contributions or expenditures considered received or made by candidate committee; reporting contributions; commingling prohibited; violation; penalty.
Sec. 21.
(1) A candidate, within 10 days after becoming a candidate, shall form a candidate committee. A person who is a candidate for more than 1 office shall form a candidate committee for each office for which the person is a candidate, if at least 1 of the offices is a state elective office. A candidate shall not form more than 1 candidate committee for each office for which the person is a candidate.
(2) A candidate committee shall have a treasurer who is a qualified elector of this state. A candidate may appoint himself or herself as the candidate committee treasurer.
(3) A committee other than a candidate committee shall have a treasurer who is a qualified elector of this state if the committee conducts business through an office or other facility located in this state.
(4) If a committee is not required to have as its treasurer an individual who is a qualified elector of this state, the committee may have as its treasurer an individual who is a resident of another state. A committee with a nonresident treasurer shall file, with its statement of organization, an irrevocable written stipulation, signed by the treasurer, agreeing that legal process affecting the committee, served on the secretary of state or an agent designated by the secretary of state, shall have the same effect as if personally served on the committee. This appointment shall remain in force as long as any liability of the committee remains outstanding within this state.
(5) If the secretary of state or designated agent of the secretary of state is served with legal process pursuant to subsection (4), the secretary of state shall promptly notify the committee's treasurer by certified mail at the last known address of the committee shown on the committee's statement of organization.
(6) Except as provided by law, a candidate committee or a committee described in subsection (3) shall have 1 account in a financial institution in this state as an official depository for the purpose of depositing all contributions received by the committee in the form of or which are converted to money, checks, or other negotiable instruments and for the purpose of making all expenditures. The committee shall designate that financial institution as its official depository. The establishment of an account in a financial institution is not required until the committee receives a contribution or makes an expenditure. Secondary depositories shall be used for the sole purpose of depositing contributions and promptly transferring the deposits to the committee's official depository.
(7) Except as provided by law, a committee described in subsection (4) shall have 1 account in a financial institution as its official depository for the purpose of depositing all contributions received by the committee in the form of or which are converted to money, checks, or other negotiable instruments and for the purpose of making all expenditures. The committee shall designate that financial institution as its official depository. The establishment of an account in a financial institution is not required until the committee receives a contribution or makes an expenditure. Secondary depositories shall be used for the sole purpose of depositing contributions and promptly transferring the deposits to the committee's official depository.
(8) A contribution shall not be accepted and an expenditure shall not be made by a committee that does not have a treasurer. When the office of treasurer in a candidate committee is vacant, the candidate shall be the treasurer until the candidate appoints a new treasurer.
(9) An expenditure shall not be made by a committee without the authorization of the treasurer or the treasurer's designee. The contributions received or expenditures made by a candidate or an agent of a candidate shall be considered received or made by the candidate committee.
(10) Contributions received by an individual acting in behalf of a committee shall be reported promptly to the committee's treasurer not later than 5 days before the closing date of any campaign statement required to be filed by the committee, and shall be reported to the committee treasurer immediately if the contribution is received less than 5 days before the closing date.
(11) A contribution shall be considered received by a committee when it is received by the committee treasurer or a designated agent of the committee treasurer although the contribution may not be deposited in the official depository by the reporting deadline.
(12) Contributions received by a committee shall not be commingled with other funds of an agent of the committee or of any other person.
(13) A person who violates this section is subject to a civil fine of not more than $1,000.00.
History: 1976, Act 388, Eff. June 1, 1977 ;-- Am. 1977, Act 312, Imd. Eff. Jan. 4, 1978 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 95, Imd. Eff. June 21, 1989