Source: https://sfethics.org/compliance/campaigns/candidates/county-central-committee/due-diligence-efforts-by-county-central-committee-candidates-upon-receiving-a-contribution-for-compliance-with-campaign-and-governmental-conduct-code-cgc-code-sections-1-114-and-1-126
Timestamp: 2018-04-22 18:09:43
Document Index: 368369616

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1', '§18427', '§1', '§1', '§ 1', '§ 84301', '§ 1', '§1', '§84211']

Due Diligence Efforts by County Central Committee Candidates Upon Receiving a Contribution for Compliance with Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code (C&GC Code) Sections 1.114 and 1.126 – San Francisco Ethics Commission
HomeComplianceCampaignsCandidatesCounty Central CommitteeDue Diligence Efforts by County Central Committee Candidates Upon Receiving a Contribution for Compliance with Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code (C&GC Code) Sections 1.114 and 1.126
Due Diligence Efforts by County Central Committee Candidates Upon Receiving a Contribution for Compliance with Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code (C&GC Code) Sections 1.114 and 1.126
Candidates and treasurers for candidate committees are responsible for complying with campaign finance laws, and may be held jointly and severally liable for violations of those laws. See C&GC Code §1.170(g), (h). Additionally, under Fair Political Practices Commission Regulation 18427, each candidate and committee treasurer must “verify that to the best of his or her knowledge the committee campaign statements are true and complete and use all reasonable diligence in the preparation of the statements.” See 2 Cal. Code Regs. §18427. The exact requirements of due diligence vary depending on the facts of a particular situation. For example, a duty to inquire may be triggered in the case of a contribution as a result of the size of the contribution, the reported source, the circumstances surrounding receipt, or the manner in which the contribution is recorded in campaign records.
This informational document provides guidance for County Central candidate committees to help ensure compliance with C&GC Code sections 1.114 and 1.126. At a minimum, to ensure that contributions to candidates do not violate the C&GC Code, the Ethics Commission recommends that candidate committees take the steps listed below. Please note, this is not an exclusive list of questions that a committee should consider in conducting its due diligence; nor does compliance with the factors listed below provide immunity from liability for violations of the law. Please also not that there are other provisions of the law that govern your receipt of campaign contributions. If you have questions regarding a particular transaction, please contact the Ethics Commission at (415)252-3100.
1. Ban on contributions from Contractors doing business with the City (C&GC §1.126 and SFEC Regulations §1.126-7):
If a candidate for a County Central Committee seat is also running for a City Elective office or holds a City Elective office, contributions from contractors doing business with the City are prohibited when:
(1) the City and County of San Francisco, a state agency on whose board an appointee of a City elective officer serves, the San Francisco United School District, or the San Francisco Community College District is a party to the contract,
(2) the contract or series of contracts in the same fiscal year has a total anticipated or actual value of $50,000 or more in a fiscal year, and
(3) the City elective officer, a board on which that officer serves, or the board of a state agency on which the officer’s appointee serves must approve that contract or series of contracts.
The ban goes into effect when the contract is submitted to the City elective officer or a board on which the officer serves. The ban ends when either the parties terminate contract negotiations or six months have elapsed from the date the contract is approved. During this period, the City elective officer, or any committee controlled by the City elective officer, may not solicit or accept a contribution from the following persons:
the contracting party’s board of directors, its chairperson, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer.
In addition to this prohibition on receiving or soliciting contributions, local law prohibits contractors and their affiliated from making contributions. The rule that applies to contributors is somewhat broader than the rule that applies to candidates — the contribution ban applies from the start of negotiations on the contract instead of the submission of the contract for approval, and it prohibits contributions not only to City elective officers who must approve the contract but also to candidates for those offices. See C&GC Code § 1.126.
Before you accept a contribution, ask the following questions:
Is the contribution from a person who is negotiating a contract or has recently entered into a contract (of $50,000 or more) within the past six months with the City and County of San Francisco, a state agency on whose board an appointee of a City elective officer serves, the San Francisco Unified School District, or the San Francisco Community College District?
A candidate will meet the due diligence requirements related to the ban on contributions from contractors doing business with the City if the contributor certifies to the candidate that the following is true:
I am not an owner, director, officer, or named sub-contractor of any entity that is currently negotiating a contract with [select appropriate: City and County of San Francisco, name of City department, or the San Francisco Unified School District, the San Francisco Community College District, or a board of a state agency that has a member who is appointed by a City elective officer], or any entity that received such a contract within the last six months.
2. Contributions whose true source is not the named contributor (Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 84301 and 84302):
Did contributions come from several individuals with the same employer?
3. Contributions from affiliated entities (C&GC Code § 1.114(c)):
Did contributions come from a combination of entities or individuals and entities that have the same or similar names and addresses?
Did contributions with similar names or addresses or that were received on the same dates come on checks that were signed by one individual?
4. Contributor information (C&GC Code §1.114(d); see also Cal. Gov’t Code §84211(f))
Send the letter to the contributor to request clarification.
If there is not sufficient time to send letter, telephone the contributor but keep clear notes regarding the telephone call, including but not limited to: date of call; name and telephone number of person called; name of person with whom you spoke; name and title of person who made the call; and notes reflecting the substance of your conversation.
If there is any doubt that the named contributor is the true source of the contribution, ask the contributor to complete a contributor card attesting that she/he made the contribution from the her/his funds and that she/he is not being reimbursed for the contribution.
https://sfethics.org/compliance/campaigns/candidates/county-central-committee/due-diligence-efforts-by-county-central-committee-candidates-upon-receiving-a-contribution-for-compliance-with-campaign-and-governmental-conduct-code-cgc-code-sections-1-114-and-1-126