Contributions
141. (1) Contributions may be made only by individuals, corporations and trade unions and shall be made only to persons who are registered under this Part. Restriction (2) No person and no individual, corporation or trade union acting on behalf of a person shall solicit or accept a contribution except for persons who are registered under this Part. How contributions of money to be made (3) Money contributions to registered candidates in amounts in excess of $25 shall be made only by, (a) a cheque having the name of the contributor legibly printed on it and drawn on an account in the contributor’s name; (b) a money order signed by the contributor; or (c) in the case of money contributions by an individual, the use of a credit card having the name of the individual contributor imprinted or embossed on it. Deposit of funds (4) All money accepted by or on behalf of a registered candidate shall be paid into an account registered with the clerk under section 139. Refund of contributions (5) If the registered candidate or the chief financial officer learns that any contribution received by or on behalf of the registered candidate was made or received in contravention of this Part, the registered candidate or the chief financial officer shall, within thirty days after so learning and upon obtaining the contributor’s copy of the receipt issued under section 142 in respect of that contribution, return the contribution or an amount equal to the sum contributed. Change of office (6) If a registered candidate changes the office for which he or she is registered under section 139 to an office other than an office on the same council, school board or local board, as the case may be, the registered candidate or the chief financial officer shall, within thirty days after the change and upon obtaining the contributor’s copy of the receipt issued under section 142 in respect of a contribution made to the registered candidate on or before the date of the change, return the contribution or an amount equal to the sum contributed. Anonymous contributions payable to municipality (7) Any contributions not returned to the contributor under subsection (5) or (6) or any anonymous contribution received by a registered candidate shall not be used or spent, but shall be paid over to the clerk and become part of the general funds of the municipality. Limitation on contributions (8) No individual, corporation or trade union shall, during any campaign period, make contributions in money, goods and services, (a) to any registered candidate which in total exceeds $750 in value; or (b) to any number of registered candidates registered for office on the same council, school board or local board, as the case may be, which in total exceeds $5,000 in value. Registered candidate’s funds, spouses’s funds (9) Any money used for an election campaign by a registered candidate out of the registered candidate’s own funds or those of the spouse of the registered candidate shall be considered to be a contribution for the purposes of this Part, but the limit on the total amount of contributions established under subsection (8) does not apply in respect of those funds. R.S.O. 1990, c.M.53, s.141.