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      Winding down costs

Winding down costs Campaign funds may be used to pay ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with one’s duties as a federal officeholder. Such expenses include the costs of winding down the office of a former federal officeholder for a period of six months after he or she leaves office. Winding down costs include the following: Moving expenses: A retiring federal officeholder may use campaign funds to pay for the expenses of moving office and personal furnishings from the congressional office in Washington, DC, back to the officeholder’s home state. While the costs of transporting an officeholder’s personal household effects and furnishings from Washington, DC, to the officeholder’s home state are not “winding down costs,” such costs are considered a permissible use of campaign funds as “ordinary and necessary expenses” incurred in connection with ending his or her duties as a federal officeholder. All such moving expenses should be reported as “other disbursements” by the officeholder’s committee, with specific payee(s) and purpose noted. Payments to committee staff: Read Commission advisory opinions AO 1976-90 and AO 1978-43. Gifts: Campaign funds may be used to purchase gifts or make donations of nominal value to persons other than the members of the candidate’s family. Other permissible uses of excess campaign funds include: Donations to charitable organizations defined in 26 U.S.C. § 170(c), unless the candidate receives compensation from the organization before the organization has expended the entire amount donated for purposes unrelated to the candidate’s personal benefit.Unlimited transfers to any national, state or local political party committee;Donations to state and local candidates, pursuant to state law; andAny other lawful purpose, unless such use is personal use.
 Publicly funded presidential candidate committees For publicly funded presidential candidate committees, winding down costs are "qualified campaign expenses" as defined at 11 CFR 9032.9. They include costs associated with the termination of political activity related to a candidate's seeking his or her nomination for election, such as the costs of complying with the post-election requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act (primary public funding), and the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act (general election public funding). They also include other necessary administrative costs associated with winding down the campaign, including office space rental, staff salaries, and office supplies.
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          Debts and loansMaking contributions to other candidatesNoncampaign related expensesPersonal useTerminating a committee From the FEC Record Using campaign funds for congressional transition expenses
Winding down your federal campaign (2010)
 Need help? Get help from the FEC by phone or email
 Continue learning about this topic Winding down the campaign
 Legal citations Regulations 11 CFR 100.53Amount paid for fundraising item is contribution 11 CFR 102.3Termination of registration 11 CFR 102.12(c)Support by authorized committees 11 CFR 102.13(c)Designation of authorized committees 11 CFR 104.3(b)(2)(vi) and (b)(4)(vi)Itemization of other disbursements 11 CFR 113.1(g)(4)Gifts 11 CFR 113.2(a)(2)Campaign funds used for winding-down costs 11 CFR 113.2(b)Charitable contributions 11 CFR 113.2(c)Unlimited transfers to political party committees 11 CFR 113.2(d)Donations to state and local candidates 11 CFR 113.2(e)Any lawful purpose except personal use 11 CFR 116.1Debts owed by candidates and political committees; Definitions 11 CFR 9032.9Qualified campaign expense; definitions
 Advisory opinions AO 2012-06Redesignation of candidate committee's general election contributions to nonconnected committee AO 2008-04Refund and redesignation of general election funds received during publicly funded Presidential primary campaign AO 2004-03Conversion of authorized committee to multicandidate committee (superseded in part; footnote 2 of AO 2012-06) AO 2003-19National party committee's sale of office equipment AO 2002-14National party committee's lease of mailing list and sale of ad space and trademark license AO 1996-44Use of campaign funds for district office move AO 1996-14Use of excess campaign funds for moving expenses AO 1991-34Committee's sale of access to voter database AO 1986-14Proceeds from sale of committee's van AO 1985-30Authorized candidate committee converted to multicandidate committee AO 1983-02Computer services sold by campaign to retire debt AO 1982-41Mailing lists exchanged between campaign committee and other organizations AO 1982-24Fundraising through sale of artworks consigned by artists AO 1981-53Campaign's sale of mailing list to corporation AO 1978-43Use of surplus campaign funds to pay staff AO 1976-90Use of excess campaign funds for expenses


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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