Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 17-25 - Rhode Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting
Section 17-25-10. - Lawful methods of contributing to support of candidates — Reporting — Disposition of anonymous contributions.

§ 17-25-10. Lawful methods of contributing to support of candidates — Reporting — Disposition of anonymous contributions.
(a) No contribution shall be made or received, and no expenditures shall be directly made or incurred, to support or defeat a candidate except through:
(1) The candidate or duly appointed campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of the candidate;
(2) The duly appointed campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of a political party committee;
(3) The duly appointed campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of a political action committee.
(b) It shall be lawful for any person, not otherwise prohibited by law and not acting in concert with any other person or group, to expend personally from that person’s own funds a sum that is not to be repaid to him or her for any purpose not prohibited by law to support or defeat a candidate; provided, that any person making the expenditure shall be required to report all of his or her expenditures and expenses, if the total of the money so expended exceeds one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year, to the board of elections within seven (7) days of making the expenditure and to the campaign treasurer of the candidate or political party committee on whose behalf the expenditure or contribution was made, or to his or her deputy, within seven (7) days of making the expenditure. The treasurer or his or her deputy shall cause the expenditures and expenses to be included in his or her reports to the board of elections. Whether a person is “acting in concert with any other person or group” for the purposes of this subsection shall be determined by application of the standards set forth in § 17-25-23.
(c) Any anonymous contribution received by a candidate, campaign treasurer, or deputy campaign treasurer shall not be used or expended, but shall be returned to the donor, if the donor’s identity can be ascertained; if not, the contribution shall escheat to the state.
History of Section.P.L. 1974, ch. 298, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 188, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 2, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 21, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 174, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 292, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 20, § 2; P.L. 2015, ch. 23, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 511, art. 1, § 9.

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