Bill would restrict campaign spending on certain legal defenses

Political committees would be barred from using campaign funds to pay attorneys, experts, investigators, or others for certain legal defenses. The rule covers criminal cases and civil cases involving alleged misconduct by a public official, sexual harassment, or discrimination. The civil-case restriction applies when the claim concerns misconduct in a person's role as a public official. The supplied text does not state an exception for these listed defenses.

A political committee controlled by a person found to have violated the Election Code would have to return its held contributions and other receipts or pay them to the State. The rule covers all contributions and other receipts held by that person's political committee when the forfeiture occurs. The money must be returned to contributors when they can be identified and reimbursed. Money that cannot be returned would be paid into the State's General Revenue Fund. The committee would have to list returned and State-paid amounts in its required quarterly report. The payments would be due within 30 days after the State Board of Elections makes a final decision finding the violation.