Permissible Uses of Campaign Funds

Today’s Post, in “Senators Diverting Campaign Funds to Kin,” notes that

[u]nder long-standing congressional ethics rules, corporations, unions and other large organizations cannot directly pay senators stipends. But their contributions to senators’ election campaigns can be paid without limit to the children, spouses, in-laws and other relatives of the lawmakers, in a practice that has aroused controversy but is fully legal.

In an advisory opinion from 2001, the FEC noted that such payments had to be for bona fide, campaign related services, citing 11 CFR 113.1. 

State Issues: Illinois

The Beacon News reports a number of Illinois candidates and committees owe fines.

Election officials have little leverage in collecting the fines except to kick candidates off the ballot — moot between elections or if the candidate loses. Officials have asked the state attorney general’s office for an opinion on how it might go about enforcing the penalties.

Individual candidates legally cannot be held accountable for the money, though election officials can keep them from appearing on the ballot if they owe too much money.

The reference appears to be to: 

5/9-30. Ballot forfeiture. The name of a person who has not paid a civil penalty imposed against him or her under this Article shall not appear upon any ballot for any office in any election while the penalty is unpaid.

The Illinois State Board of Elections identifies 408 late reports.