16-917. Independent expenditures; twenty-four hour notice; civil penalty

1. A political committee that makes independent expenditures for literature or an advertisement relating to any one candidate or office within ten days before the day of any election to which the expenditures relate, shall send by certified mail a copy of the campaign literature or advertisement to each candidate named or otherwise referred to in the literature or advertisement twenty-four hours before depositing it at the post office for mailing, twenty-four hours before submitting it to a telecommunications system for broadcast or twenty-four hours before submitting it to a newspaper for printing.

2. The copy of the literature or advertisement sent to a candidate pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be a reproduction that is clearly readable, viewable or audible.

3. An expenditure by a political committee or a person that does not meet the definition of an independent expenditure is an in-kind contribution to the candidate and a corresponding expenditure by the candidate unless otherwise exempted.

4. A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty of three times the cost of the literature or advertisement that was distributed in violation of this section. This civil penalty shall be imposed as prescribed in section 16-924.

WARNING - The above text was curent June 2003, but may be outdated now.