(a) For reporting required under §254.031 of the
Election Code, the purpose of an expenditure means:
(1) A description of the category of goods, services,
or other thing of value for which an expenditure is made. Examples
of acceptable categories include:
(A) advertising expense;
(B) accounting/banking;
(C) consulting expense;
(D) contributions/donations made by candidate/officeholder/political
committee;
(E) event expense;
(F) fees;
(G) food/beverage expense;
(H) gifts/awards/memorials expense;
(I) legal services;
(J) loan repayment/reimbursement;
(K) office overhead/rental expense;
(L) polling expense;
(M) printing expense;
(N) salaries/wages/contract labor;
(O) solicitation/fundraising expense;
(P) transportation equipment and related expense;
(Q) travel in district;
(R) travel out of district;
(S) other political expenditures; and
(2) A brief statement or description of the candidate,
officeholder, or political committee activity that is conducted by
making the expenditure and an additional indication if the expenditure
is an officeholder expenditure for living in Austin, Texas. The brief
statement or description must include the item or service purchased
and must be sufficiently specific, when considered within the context
of the description of the category, to make the reason for the expenditure
clear. Merely disclosing the category of goods, services, or other
thing of value for which the expenditure is made does not adequately
describe the purpose of an expenditure.
(3) For purposes of this section, "consulting" means
advice and strategy. "Consulting" does not include providing other
goods or services, including without limitation media production,
voter contact, or political advertising.
(b) An expenditure other than a reimbursement to a
person, including a vendor, for more than one type of good or service
must be reported by the filer as separate expenditures for each type
of good or service provided by the person in accordance with this
rule.
(c) The description of a political expenditure for
travel outside of the state of Texas must provide the following:
(1) The name of the person or persons traveling on
whose behalf the expenditure was made;
(2) The means of transportation;
(3) The name of the departure city or the name of each
departure location;
(4) The name of the destination city or the name of
each destination location;
(5) The dates on which the travel occurred; and
(6) The campaign or officeholder purpose of the travel,
including the name of a conference, seminar, or other event.
(d) Except as provided by subsection (e) of this section,
this rule applies to expenditures made on or after July 1, 2010.
(e) The requirement to include an additional indication
if an expenditure is an officeholder expenditure for living in Austin,
Texas, applies to an expenditure made on or after July 1, 2014.
(f) Comments: The purpose of an expenditure must include
both a description of the category of goods or services received in
exchange for the expenditure and a brief statement or description
of the candidate, officeholder, or political committee activity that
is conducted by making the expenditure. A description of an expenditure
that merely states the item or service purchased is not adequate because
doing so does not allow a person reading the report to know the allowable
activity for which an expenditure was made. The following is a list
of examples that describe how the purpose of an expenditure may be
reported under section 20.61. This list is for illustrative purposes
only. It is intended to provide helpful information and to assist
filers in reporting the purpose of an expenditure under this rule.
However, it is not, and is not intended to be, an exhaustive or an
exclusive list of how a filer may permissibly report the purpose of
an expenditure under this rule. The rule does not require the candidate
or officeholder to identify by name or affiliation an individual or
group with whom the candidate or officeholder meets.
(1) Example: Candidate X is seeking the office of State
Representative, District 2000. She purchases an airline ticket from
ABC Airlines to attend a campaign rally within District 2000. The
acceptable category for this expenditure is "travel in district."
The candidate activity that is accomplished by making the expenditure
is to attend a campaign rally. An acceptable brief statement is "airline
ticket to attend campaign event."
(2) Example: Candidate X purchases an airline ticket
to attend a campaign event outside of District 2000 but within Texas,
the acceptable category is "travel out of district." The candidate
activity that is accomplished by making the expenditure is to attend
a campaign event. An acceptable brief statement is "airline ticket
to attend campaign or officeholder event."
(3) Example: Candidate X purchases an airline ticket
to attend an officeholder related seminar outside of Texas. The acceptable
method for the purpose of this expenditure is by selecting the "travel
out of district" category and completing the "Schedule T" (used to
report travel outside of Texas).
(4) Example: Candidate X contracts with an individual
to do various campaign related tasks such as work on a campaign phone
bank, sign distribution, and staffing the office. The acceptable category
is "salaries/wages/contract labor." The candidate activity that is
accomplished by making the expenditure is to compensate an individual
working on the campaign. An acceptable brief statement is "contract
labor for campaign services."
(5) Example: Officeholder X is seeking re-election
and makes an expenditure to purchase a vehicle to use for campaign
purposes and permissible officeholder purposes. The acceptable category
is "transportation equipment and related expenses" and an acceptable
brief description is "purchase of campaign/officeholder vehicle."
(6) Example: Candidate X makes an expenditure to repair
a flat tire on a campaign vehicle purchased with political funds.
The acceptable category is "transportation equipment and related expenses"
and an acceptable brief description is "campaign vehicle repairs."
(7) Example: Officeholder X purchases flowers for a
constituent. The acceptable category is "gifts/awards/memorials expense"
and an acceptable brief description is "flowers for constituent."
(8) Example: Political Committee XYZ makes a political
contribution to Candidate X. The acceptable category is "contributions/donations
made by candidate/officeholder/political committee" and an acceptable
brief description is "campaign contribution."
(9) Example: Candidate X makes an expenditure for a
filing fee to get his name on the ballot. The acceptable category
is "fees" and an acceptable brief description is "candidate filing
fee."
(10) Example: Officeholder X makes an expenditure to
attend a seminar related to performing a duty or engaging in an activity
in connection with the office. The acceptable category is "fees" and
an acceptable brief description is "attend officeholder seminar."
(11) Example: Candidate X makes an expenditure for
political advertising to be broadcast by radio. The acceptable category
is "advertising expense" and an acceptable brief description is "political
advertising." Similarly, Candidate X makes an expenditure for political
advertising to appear in a newspaper. The acceptable category is "advertising
expense" and an acceptable brief description is "political advertising."
(12) Example: Officeholder X makes expenditures for
printing and postage to mail a letter to all of her constituents,
thanking them for their participation during the legislative session.
Acceptable categories are "advertising expense" OR "printing expense"
and an acceptable brief description is "letter to constituents."
(13) Example: Officeholder X makes an expenditure to
pay the campaign office electric bill. The acceptable category is
"office overhead/rental expense" and an acceptable brief description
is "campaign office electric bill."
(14) Example: Officeholder X makes an expenditure to
purchase paper, postage, and other supplies for the campaign office.
The acceptable category is "office overhead/rental expense" and an
acceptable brief description is "campaign office supplies."
(15) Example: Officeholder X makes an expenditure to
pay the campaign office monthly rent. The acceptable category is "office
overhead/rental expense" and an acceptable brief description is "campaign
office rent."
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