Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 410 - Board of Elections › Chapter 10 - Campaign Finance › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 7 - Rules and Regulations on the Permitted and Prohibited Use of Campaign Funds › Section 410-RICR-10-00-7.3 - Personal Use of Campaign Funds Prohibited

Current through June 14, 2024
A. The
				  personal use by any elected public office holder or by any candidate for public
				  office, as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
										17-25-3, of campaign funds shall
				  be prohibited. For the purpose of this section, "personal use" is defined as
				  any use other than expenditures related to gaining or holding office and for
				  which the candidate for public office or elected public official would be
				  required to treat the amount of the expenditure as gross income under Internal
				  Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.
				  §
											61 as from time to time
				  amended.
B. An expenditure is
				  related to gaining or holding office if that expenditure results from the
				  candidate's campaign activity or the individual's duties as the holder of a
				  public office and is an expense that would not otherwise have been
				  incurred.
C. Expenditures that are
				  specifically prohibited under this chapter include:
1. Any residential or household items,
				  supplies or expenditures, including mortgage, rent or utility payments for any
				  part of any personal residence of a candidate or officeholder or a member of
				  the candidate's or officeholder's family;
2. Mortgage, rent or utility payments for any
				  part of any non-residential property that is owned by a candidate or
				  officeholder or a member of a candidate's or officeholder's family and used for
				  campaign purposes, to the extent the payments exceed the fair market value of
				  the property usage;
3. Funeral,
				  cremation, or burial expenses, including any expenses related to deaths within
				  a candidate's or officeholder's family;
4. Clothing, other than items of
de
				  minimis
value that are used in the campaign;
a. Expenditures for clothing shall be limited
				  to items of de minimis value which display the candidate's name or message, or
				  which promote the advocacy or defeat of an issue, or ballot question. The cost
				  per unit of said clothing shall not exceed twenty-five dollars
				  ($25.00).
b. Clothing which is
				  rented for a specific campaign or officeholder activity shall be deemed an
				  allowable expense, provided that the campaign making said rental shall be
				  required to report the item rented and the specific campaign or officeholder
				  activity for which it was rented.
5. Tuition payments;
6. Dues, fees or gratuities at a country
				  club, health club, recreational facility or other nonpolitical organization,
				  unless part of a specific fundraising event that takes place on the
				  organization's premises;
7. Salary
				  payments to a member of a candidate's family, unless the family member is
				  providing bona fide services to the campaign. If a family member provides bona
				  fide services to a campaign, any salary payments in excess of the fair market
				  value of the services provided is personal use;
8. Admission to a sporting event, concert,
				  theater, or other form of entertainment, unless part of a specific campaign or
				  officeholder activity.
a. The purchase of
				  "season tickets" is prohibited.
b.
				  Individual tickets for individual events purchased as part of a specific
				  campaign or officeholder activity is a permitted use of campaign funds,
				  provided, that the campaign making said purchase shall be required to report
				  the specific campaign or officeholder activity participated in and its
				  purpose.
9. Payments of
				  any fines, fees or penalties assessed pursuant to this chapter.