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      Making disbursements as a party

Making disbursements as a party A party committee may expend its funds for any lawful purpose consistent with the Federal Election Campaign Act and Commission regulations. An expenditure is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election. "Disbursement" is a broader term that covers both expenditures and other kinds of payments (those not made to influence a federal election). All disbursements are reportable by the party committee. Disbursements must be made by check or similar draft drawn on an account maintained at the committee’s designated depository. However, the committee may maintain a petty cash fund for small disbursements. A written record of petty cash disbursements must be kept if a petty cash fund is maintained. Payments from petty cash to one person for any one purchase or transaction may not exceed $100.
 For political party committees
      Registering as a political party
          
          Taking in receipts as a party
          
          Handling party loans, debts and advances
          
          Keeping party records
          
          Filing political party reports
          
          Terminating a committee
 Direct candidate support
          
            Federal Election Activity (FEA)
          
            Fundraising by political party committees for other committees and organizations
          
            Indirect candidate support (Party-building activities)
 Direct candidate support
        Party committees may support federal candidates in a variety of ways, including making contributions, independent expenditures, and coordinated party expenditures, conducting exempt party activities and paying for other candidate support expenses. In some cases, candidate support will qualify as Federal Election Activity (FEA).
        Contributions made by party committees
        
           Exempt party activities
        
           Coordinated party expendituresCoordinated party expenditure limits
        
           Making independent expenditures as a political party committee
        
           Advertising and disclaimers
        
           Paying for candidate support expenses as a political party committee Federal Election Activity (FEA)
        Federal Election Activity (FEA) is a specifically defined term of art for activity by state, district or local party committees and organizations (whether registered as political committees with the Commission or not) that triggers special payment and reporting requirements.
        Definition of Federal Election Activity
        
           Funding Federal Election Activity (FEA)
        
           Exempt activity that is also Federal Election Activity (FEA) Fundraising by political party committees for other committees and organizations
        
        Fundraising by party committees for federal candidates
        
           Joint fundraising with other candidates and political committees
        
           Fundraising by political party for tax exempt organizations
        
           Party phone banks Indirect candidate support (Party-building activities)
        A party committee may perform certain activities and pay expenses which indirectly benefit a candidate, but which are not directly attributable to any clearly identified candidate. These forms of indirect candidate support are not considered contributions or coordinated party expenditures and, therefore, do not count against those limits. Nevertheless, party committees with separate federal, Levin and nonfederal accounts must allocate a portion of such costs as federal expenses, payable with permissible funds.
        Administrative expenses of party committee
        
           Raising funds for federal and nonfederal party committee accounts
        
           Fundraising notices
        
           Federal candidates' participation in nonfederal fundraising
        
           Federal account expenses
        
           Raising and spending funds for the national party's nominating convention


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This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


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