N.J. Admin. Code § 19:25-15.12

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 19:25-15.12 - Who may or may not contribute

(a) No person, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, or legislative leadership committee, other than a candidate contributing the candidate's own funds to the candidate's own campaign, shall make any contribution to any candidate, the candidate's campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer, or to any other person or committee, in aid of the candidacy of or on behalf of a candidate, whether or not participating in public funding, for election to the offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor in a general election, in the aggregate in excess of $ 4,900. Any such contribution in excess of $ 4,900 must be returned to the contributor pursuant to the requirements at N.J.A.C. 19:25-11.8, and evidence of repayment shall be submitted to the Commission.

(b) A joint candidates committee established by candidates who have not established any candidate committees in an election may make a contribution to candidates for election to the offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor in an amount not to exceed the sum of the number of candidates participating in the joint candidates committee multiplied by $ 4,900. If a candidate has established both a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee in an election, the total amount that may be contributed by that candidate's joint candidates committee and candidate committee to candidates for election to the offices of Governor and of Lieutenant Governor may not exceed $ 4,900 per candidate participating in the joint candidates committee.

(c) Subject to the limitations contained in this subchapter and the Act, any person may contribute to more than one candidate.

(d) A corporation, association, or labor organization or any subsidiary, affiliate, branch, division, department, or local unit of any such corporation, association, or labor organization shall not make any contribution to, or on behalf of, a candidate, which, when added to any other contribution by any related or affiliated corporation, association, or labor organization, exceeds $ 4,900 in the aggregate. Whether such corporation, association, or labor organization is related or affiliated shall depend on the circumstances existing at the time of such contribution, including, but not by way of limitation, the degree of control or common ownership with related or affiliated corporations, associations, or labor organizations, the source and control of funds used for such contributions and the degree to which the decisions whether to contribute, to what candidate and in what amount are independent decisions.

(e) In considering the criteria set forth in (d) above, two or more corporations shall be conclusively deemed to be affiliated if:

1. Any individual, corporation, partnership, company, association, or other entity owns, directly or indirectly, more than a 30 percent interest in each of such corporations; or

2. One such corporation owns, directly or indirectly, more than a 30 percent interest in the other such corporation.

(f) Contributions by minors shall be attributed to the legal guardian(s) of the minor for the purposes of 19:25-15.6, and not to the minor unless:

1. The minor is 14 years or older;

2. The contribution is made from funds comprised of the minor's earned income as defined in 19:25-1.7; and

3. Sworn statements made by the minor and by the minor's legal guardian(s) are submitted with the contribution which state that the decision to contribute was solely that of the minor and that the funds used to make the contribution were comprised solely of the minor's earned income.

(g) For the purposes of (f) above, if the minor has more than one legal guardian, the contribution shall be attributed equally to each legal guardian of the minor.

N.J. Admin. Code § 19:25-15.12

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 911(a), effective 2/20/2018

Amended by 52 N.J.R. 2190(a), effective 12/21/2020