24.2-954 - Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; penalties.
§ 24.2-954. Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; penalties.
A. No member of the General Assembly or statewide official and no campaigncommittee of a member of the General Assembly or statewide official shallsolicit or accept a contribution for the campaign committee of any member ofthe General Assembly or statewide official, or for any political committee,from any person or political committee on and after the first day of aregular session of the General Assembly through adjournment sine die of thatsession.
B. No person or political committee shall make or promise to make acontribution to a member of the General Assembly or statewide official or hiscampaign committee on and after the first day of a regular session of theGeneral Assembly through adjournment sine die of that session.
C. The restrictions of this section shall not apply to a contribution (i)made by a member of the General Assembly or statewide official from hispersonal funds or (ii) made to the campaign committee of a candidate in aspecial election.
D. As used in this section:
"Adjournment sine die" means adjournment on the last legislative day of theregular session, and such session does not include the ensuing reconvenedsession;
"Campaign committee," "contribution," "person," and "politicalcommittee" shall be defined as provided in § 24.2-945.1 except that"contribution" shall not include money, services, or things of value in anyway provided by a candidate to his own campaign and the payment by thecandidate of any primary filing fee;
"Solicit" means request a contribution, orally or in writing, but shall notinclude a request for support of a candidate or his position on an issue; and
"Statewide official" means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and AttorneyGeneral.
E. Any person who violates, or aids, abets, or participates in the violationof, this section shall be subject to a civil penalty equal to the amount ofthe prohibited contribution or promised contribution or $500, whicheveramount is greater. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall initiate civilproceedings to enforce the civil penalty provided herein. Any civil penaltiescollected shall be payable to the State Treasurer for deposit to the generalfund.
(1997, c. 876, § 24.2-940; 2006, cc. 787, 892.)