An Act To Ban the Use of Leadership Political Action Committees for Personal Profit

Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1054-B,  as enacted by PL 2017, c. 98, §1, is amended to read:

§ 1054-B. Payments to Legislators by political action committees

If a Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of a political action committee or is one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising contributions or making decisions for the political action committee, the committee may not compensate the Legislator for services provided to the committee. The committee may not make payments or distribute, loan, advance, deposit or gift money or anything of value to or compensate a business owned or operated by the Legislator. The committee may reimburse the Legislator for expenses incurred in the proper performance of the duties of the Legislator, for purchases made on behalf of the committee and for travel expenses associated with volunteering for the committee. Allowable reimbursement for expenses does not include payments from the committee that are determined by the commission to be for the purpose of personal financial enrichment of the Legislator. The funds of the committee may not be commingled with the personal funds of the Legislator or the funds of a business owned or operated by the Legislator.

summary

Current law prohibits a political action committee from compensating a Legislator or a business owned or operated by the Legislator if the Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of the committee or one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising contributions or making decisions for the committee. This bill further prohibits such a political action committee from making loans or gifts to a business owned or operated by the Legislator and prohibits commingling the funds of such a political action committee with the personal funds of the Legislator or the funds of a business owned or operated by the Legislator.