Section 169.252 - Limitations on contributions; exemption of contribution from candidate's immediate family; contribution for particular election cycle; violation as misdemeanor; penalty; contribu
MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 388 of 1976
169.252 Limitations on contributions; exemption of contribution from candidate's immediate family; contribution for particular election cycle; violation as misdemeanor; penalty; contributions made by political or independent committees established by corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, or labor organization; bundled contributions.
Sec. 52.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (5) or (11) and subject to subsection (8), a person other than an independent committee or a political party committee shall not make contributions to a candidate committee of a candidate for elective office that, with respect to an election cycle, are more than the following:
(a) $3,400.00 for a candidate for state elective office other than the office of state legislator, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of more than 250,000.
(b) $1,000.00 for a candidate for state senator, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of more than 85,000 but 250,000 or less.
(c) $500.00 for a candidate for state representative, or for a candidate for local elective office if the district from which he or she is seeking office has a population of 85,000 or less.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and subsection (12), an independent committee shall not make contributions to a candidate committee of a candidate for elective office that, in the aggregate for that election cycle, are more than 10 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1). A house political party caucus committee or a senate political party caucus committee is not limited under this subsection in the amount of contributions made to the candidate committee of a candidate for the office of state legislator, except as follows:
(a) A house political party caucus committee or a senate political party caucus committee shall not pay a debt incurred by a candidate if that debt was incurred while the candidate was seeking nomination at a primary election and the candidate was opposed at that primary.
(b) A house political party caucus committee or a senate political party caucus committee shall not make a contribution to or make an expenditure on behalf of a candidate if that candidate is seeking nomination at a primary election and the candidate is opposed at that primary.
(3) A political party committee other than a state central committee shall not make contributions to the candidate committee of a candidate for elective office that are more than 10 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1).
(4) A state central committee of a political party shall not make contributions to the candidate committee of a candidate for state elective office other than a candidate for the legislature that are more than 20 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1). A state central committee of a political party shall not make contributions to the candidate committee of a candidate for state senator, state representative, or local elective office that are more than 10 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1).
(5) A contribution from a member of a candidate's immediate family to the candidate committee of that candidate is exempt from the limitations of subsection (1).
(6) Consistent with the provisions of this section, a contribution designated in writing for a particular election cycle is considered made for that election cycle. A contribution made after the close of a particular election cycle and designated in writing for that election cycle shall be made only to the extent that the contribution does not exceed the candidate committee's net outstanding debts and obligations from the election cycle so designated. If a contribution is not designated in writing for a particular election cycle, the contribution is considered made for the election cycle that corresponds to the date of the written instrument.
(7) A candidate committee, a candidate, or a treasurer or agent of a candidate committee shall not accept a contribution with respect to an election cycle that exceeds the limitations in subsection (1), (2), (3), (4), (11), or (12).
(8) The contribution limits in subsection (1) for a candidate for local elective office are effective on the effective date of the amendatory act that provides for those contribution limits, however, only contributions received by that candidate on and after that date shall be used to determine if the contribution limit has been reached.
(9) A person who knowingly violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, if the person is an individual, by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both, or, if the person is not an individual, by a fine of not more than $10,000.00.
(10) For purposes of the limitations provided in subsections (1) and (2), all contributions made by political committees or independent committees established by any corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, or labor organization, including any parent, subsidiary, branch, division, department, or local unit thereof, shall be considered to have been made by a single independent committee. By way of illustration and not limitation, all of the following apply as a result of the application of this requirement:
(a) All of the political committees and independent committees established by a for profit corporation or joint stock company, by a subsidiary of the for profit corporation or joint stock company, or by any combination thereof, are treated as a single independent committee.
(b) All of the political committees and independent committees established by a single national or international labor organization, by a labor organization of that national or international labor organization, by a local labor organization of that national or international labor organization, or by any other subordinate organization of that national or international labor organization, or by any combination thereof, are treated as a single independent committee.
(c) All of the political committees and independent committees established by an organization of national or international unions, by a state central body of that organization, by a local central body of that organization, or by any combination thereof, are treated as a single independent committee.
(d) All of the political committees and independent committees established by a nonprofit corporation, by a related state entity of that nonprofit corporation, by a related local entity of that nonprofit corporation, or by any combination thereof, are treated as a single independent committee.
(11) The limitation on a political committee's contributions under subsection (1) does not apply to contributions that are part of 1 or more bundled contributions delivered to the candidate committee of a candidate for statewide elective office and that are attributed to the political committee as prescribed in section 31. A political committee shall not make contributions to a candidate committee of a candidate for statewide elective office that are part of 1 or more bundled contributions delivered to that candidate committee, that are attributed to the political committee as prescribed in section 31, and that, in the aggregate for that election cycle, are more than the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1).
(12) The limitation on an independent committee's contributions under subsection (2) does not apply to contributions that are part of 1 or more bundled contributions delivered to the candidate committee of a candidate for statewide elective office and that are attributed to the independent committee as prescribed in section 31. An independent committee shall not make contributions to a candidate committee of a candidate for statewide elective office that are part of 1 or more bundled contributions delivered to that candidate committee, that are attributed to the independent committee as prescribed in section 31, and that, in the aggregate for that election cycle, are more than 10 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee in subsection (1).
History: 1976, Act 388, Eff. June 1, 1977 ;-- Am. 1978, Act 349, Imd. Eff. July 12, 1978 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 95, Imd. Eff. June 21, 1989 ;-- Am. 1994, Act 117, Eff. Apr. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 264, Eff. Mar. 28, 1996 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 590, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 250, Eff. Mar. 22, 2002
Compiler's Notes: Section 2 of Act 264 of 1995 provides:“If any portion of this amendatory act or the application of this amendatory act to any person or circumstance is found to be invalid by a court, the invalidity does not affect the remaining portions or applications of this amendatory act that can be given effect without the invalid portion or application, if those remaining portions are not determined by the court to be inoperable. To this end, this amendatory act is declared to be severable.”