Campaign
Finance Guide
Section
3: Political Committees
What
is a Political Committee?
(DC Official Code § 1-1101.01(5))
A political committee
is a proposer, individual, committee (including a principal
campaign committee), club, association, organization or other
group of individuals organized for the purpose of, or engaged
in, promoting or opposing a political party, the nomination
or election of an individual to office, or any initiative, referendum
or recall.
A political committee
is either an authorized or an unauthorized committee. An authorized
committee means the principal campaign committee or any other
political committee is authorized and designated by a candidate
on the Statement of Candidacy form to receive contributions
or make expenditures on behalf of such candidate. An unauthorized
committee is any other political committee, which has not been
designated by a candidate.
Political
Committee Registration Requirements
(DC Official Code § 1-1102.04)
All political
committees, authorized or unauthorized, including campaign committees,
independent or political action committees, and initiative,
referendum or recall committees, must register with the Office
of Campaign Finance and file a Statement of Organization form
within ten (10) days of organization or designation by a candidate
on the Statement of Candidacy form. A political committee must
have a treasurer and a chairperson.
Political
Committee Reporting Requirements
(DC Official Code § 1-1102.06)
The treasurer
of each political committee must file a Report of Receipts and
Expenditures on January 31st, and the 10th day of March, June,
August, October, December, and 8 days preceding the date of
each election, if the political committee is actively supporting
candidates during the year in which an election is held. Political
committees not supporting candidates during a year, in which
an election is held, must file a Notification of Non-Support
form with the Office of Campaign Finance on or before January
31st of the year in which an election is held. Reports must
be filed by January 31st and July 31st from political committees
filing Notifications of Non-Support and by all other political
committees during a non-election year.
Surplus
Funds
(DC Official Code § 1-1107.02)
An individual,
who seeks nomination for election, or election to office, is
required to dispose of any surplus, residual, or unexpended
campaign funds. Surplus funds must be contributed to a political
party for political purposes; used to retire the proper debts
of the political committee which received the funds; or returned
to the donors within six months following the election, in the
case of an individual elected to office or defeated in an election;
or within six months after an individual, ceasing to be a candidate,
terminates his/her candidacy. Under certain circumstances, surplus
funds may be donated to a charitable organization or a citizen-service
fund.
Notice
of Non-Support
By January 31st
of each year, political committees that do not intend to support
candidates during an election year must file Notifications of
Non-Support. Political committees that file notices of non-support
are also required to file a January 31st year-end and July 31st
mid-year Report of Receipts and Expenditures as required by
DC Official Code, Section 1-1102.06(a). A political committee
must inform the Director of OCF in writing, within ten (10)
days, of a change in the committee’s intention to not
support a candidate during an election year. The political committee
will then be required to file a Report of Receipts and Expenditures
according to the mandated due dates.
Things
to Remember
- All political
committees must register with the Office of Campaign Finance
and file a Statement of Organization within ten (10) days
of organization or designation by a candidate.
- All
political committees must file Reports of Receipts and Expenditures.
- Surplus
funds must be disposed of within certain prescribed time frames.
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