Section 8. No corporation carrying on the business of a bank, trust, surety indemnity, safe deposit, insurance, railroad, street railway, telegraph, telephone, gas, electric light, heat, power, canal, aqueduct, or water company, no company having the right to take land by eminent domain or to exercise franchises in public ways, granted by the commonwealth or by any county, city or town, no trustee or trustees owning or holding the majority of the stock of such a corporation, no business or professional corporation, partnership, limited liability company partnership under the laws of or doing business in the commonwealth and no officer or agent acting in behalf of any corporation mentioned in this section, shall directly or indirectly give, pay, expend or contribute, or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, any money or other valuable thing for the purpose of aiding, promoting or preventing the nomination or election of any person to public office, or aiding or promoting or antagonizing the interest of any political party.
No person or persons, no political committee, and no person acting under the authority of a political committee, or in its behalf, other than a political committee organized on behalf of a ballot question campaign shall solicit or receive from such corporation or such holders of stock any gift, payment, expenditure, contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute for any such purpose.
Any such corporation violating this chapter shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars and any officer, director or agent of the corporation violating any provision thereof or authorizing such violation of any provision thereof, or any person who violates or in any way knowingly aids or abets the violation thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions
Section 2 - Accounts of Contributions and Expenditures; Violations; Penalties
Section 5a - Elected Public Officials; Principal Officers of Political Action Committees
Section 5b - Names or Phrases Identifying Political Committees in Organizational Statements
Section 5c - Online Training Program for Treasurers of Political Committees
Section 6 - Restrictions on Expenditures; Penalties
Section 6a - Contributions From Political Action Committees; Limitations
Section 6b - Ballot Question Committee; Contributions
Section 7 - Receipts, Disbursements and Contributions Regulated; Limitations; Penalties
Section 8 - Political Contributions by Corporations; Penalties
Section 10 - Name and Address of Donor; Disclosure; Penalties
Section 10a - Treatment of Contributions to Candidates Through Intermediaries or Conduits
Section 11 - Solicitations From Candidates Prohibited; Exception; Penalties
Section 12 - Soliciting of Money for Nomination Papers Prohibited; Penalties
Section 14 - Soliciting Contributions in Public Buildings Prohibited; Penalties
Section 15 - Political Contributions by Public Officers or Employees Restricted; Penalties
Section 16a - Obligation to Make Political Contribution or Render Political Service; Penalty
Section 18a - Reports of Independent Expenditures
Section 18e - Legal Defense, Inauguration or Recount Funds
Section 18f - Electioneering Communication Expenditures
Section 19 - Campaign Funds; Designation of Depository
Section 23 - Persons Acting for Political Committees; Accounts and Vouchers to Treasurers
Section 24 - Place for Filing Statements or Reports; Signing
Section 25 - Preservation of Statements and Reports by Director; Public Inspection and Reproduction
Section 27 - Furnishing Forms for Statements and Reports, and Summary of Chapter
Section 28 - Inspection of Statements and Reports; Delinquencies; Notice; Filing
Section 30 - Courts' Authority to Compel Filing of Statements
Section 31 - Immunity of Witnesses
Section 32 - Corrupt Practices by Candidate Defined
Section 33 - Election Petitions for Corrupt Practices; Procedure
Section 34 - Application of Preceding Sections
Section 35 - Inquests Upon Complaint for Violations
Section 36 - Conduct of Inquests
Section 37 - Witnesses; Attendance; Process; Fees
Section 39 - Witnesses; Binding Over to Superior Court
Section 40 - Apprehension of Offenders