Lobbyist Contribution and Solicitation Ban State Elections Enforcement Commission

Public Act October 25 Special Session State Elections Enforcement Commission Public Campaign Financing Program for Statewide and General Assembly Candidates State Contractor Contribution and Solicitation Ban Lobbyist Contribution and Solicitation Ban Filing Repository moved to SEEC from SOTS

Commission Staff Senior Executive Operations Information Technology Services Public Financing Unit Legal and Enforcement Unit Campaign Disclosure and Audit Unit Fiscal, Administrative and Grant Payments Unit State Elections Enforcement Commission

Lobbyist Contribution Ban No communicator lobbyist may make a contribution to: Candidates for statewide office or general assembly or exploratory committees for those offices (including qualifying contributions to candidates participating in the Citizens’ Election Program) Political committees established or controlled by those candidates Legislative leadership and legislative caucus committees Party committees

State Elections Enforcement Commission Who’s Who - Definitions Client Lobbyist – expends or agrees to expend $2,000 in a calendar year Communicator Lobbyist – receives or agrees to receive $2,000 in a calendar year  Individual  Member of a business organization  In-house (regular employee of client lobbyist)

State Elections Enforcement Commission Definitions Continued $2,000 for what? Administrative Lobbying; and/or Legislative Lobbying; and or Activities in Furtherance of Lobbying

Lobbyist Contribution Ban Also applies to political committees (known as PACs) established or controlled by a communicator lobbyist Lobbyist political committees may not make contributions to covered candidates or committees, or solicit for them State Elections Enforcement Commission

Lobbyist Solicitation Ban Lobbyists, immediate family members, agents or political committees cannot solicit contributions for: Candidates for Statewide Office and General Assembly Political committees established or controlled by such candidates Legislative leadership or legislative caucus committees or Party committees (including state central and town committees) State Elections Enforcement Commission

Lobbyist Solicitation Ban Lobbyists, immediate family members, agents or their political committees cannot solicit a contribution or an ad book purchase for a town committee State Elections Enforcement Commission

Spouse and dependent children of a lobbyist are also subject to the contribution and solicitation bans Includes partners to a civil union Immediate Family

State Elections Enforcement Commission Requesting that a contribution be made; Participating in any fundraising activities, including, but not limited to:  forwarding tickets  receiving contributions  bundling contributions  attending a fundraiser Serving as chairperson, campaign treasurer or deputy treasurer of a covered committee “Solicit” Means

State Elections Enforcement Commission Informing any person of a position taken by a candidate for public office or a public official Notifying the person of any activities of, or contact information for, any candidate for public office “Solicit” Does NOT Mean:

State Elections Enforcement Commission Volunteer for a political campaign Put a sign on his/her lawn Drive the candidate around campaigning Tell people candidate X is great…or awful Make get out to vote calls A Lobbyist May Still:

State Elections Enforcement Commission Contribute to and solicit for candidates for Judge of Probate, local candidates and referenda Make independent expenditures in support of candidates Lobbyists May Still:

State Elections Enforcement Commission Express support for a candidate or their views Communicate their evaluations of a legislator or candidate to their clients Contribute to a political committee that is not a legislative leadership committee, legislative caucus committee or a political committee established or controlled by one of the covered candidates (but no earmarking) Lobbyists May Still:

State Elections Enforcement Commission It is illegal to make, receive or solicit a prohibited contribution 9-622(10) Since lobbyist contributions are prohibited, they cannot legally be solicited Same definition of “solicit” applies Legislators May Not Solicit Lobbyists

State Elections Enforcement Commission Law since 1990 Used to apply to both client and communicator lobbyists and their political committees Contributions/Solicitations banned during the legislative session Still necessary for Client Lobbyists And non-contributions don’t apply for client and communicator lobbyists during session Sessional Lobbyist Contribution Ban

State Elections Enforcement Commission B-2 Certification of Eligibility to Receive Lobbyist Contributions During Session B-3 Certification of a Committee Established by of on Behalf of a Lobbyist Lists published and distributed during session Reminders of sessional ban in Bulletin Prohibited Donor and Recipient Lists for Sessional Lobbyist Ban

State Elections Enforcement Commission PA Removed the annual lobbyist campaign finance filing Effective October 1, 2007 Annual Filing Requirement Abolished

State Elections Enforcement Commission Law requires us to compile a database of those subject to the ban Over 10,000 vendors Posted on our website: State Contractors Ban

State Elections Enforcement Commission Principals of contractors with the executive and legislative branches Valued at $50,000, or $100,000 in the aggregate CANNOT contribute to or solicit for candidates in the branch of government they have a contract with, political committees authorized to contribute to said candidates or party committees CANNOT make qualifying contributions to candidates participating in the Citizens’ Election Program Contractor Ban

Certification ALL contributors making contributions to covered candidate committees, political committees or party committees of $50 dollars or more must certify that they are not communicator lobbyists, immediate family members of communicator lobbyists, or principals of state contractors or prospective state contractors

New Electronic Filing System New system being developed Searchable database Redesigned forms User friendly All SOTS campaign finance filings with SEEC beginning in 2007 State Elections Enforcement Commission

Purpose of Presentation The purpose of this presentation is to provide you with general information about the various rules and requirements of the Program. This presentation however, is not a substitute for the law, which can be found on the Commission’s web site.

State Elections Enforcement Commission Contact Information Address: 20 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT Telephone: (860) Toll free (in-state only) 1-(866) (866) SEEC-INFO Fax: (860) Website: