Sec. 9.

(1) “Incidental expense” means an expenditure that is an ordinary and necessary expense, paid or incurred in carrying out the business of an elective office. Incidental expense includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

(a) A disbursement necessary to assist, serve, or communicate with a constituent.

(b) A disbursement for equipment, furnishings, or supplies for the office of the public official.

(c) A disbursement for a district office if the district office is not used for campaign-related activity.

(d) A disbursement for the public official or his or her staff, or both, to attend a conference, meeting, reception, or other similar event.

(e) A disbursement to maintain a publicly owned residence or a temporary residence at the seat of government.

(f) An unreimbursed disbursement for travel, lodging, meals, or other expenses incurred by the public official, a member of the public official’s immediate family, or a member of the public official’s staff in carrying out the business of the elective office.

(g) A donation to a tax-exempt charitable organization, including, but not limited to, the purchase of tickets to charitable or civic events, as long as the candidate is not an officer or director of or does not receive compensation, either directly or indirectly, from that organization.

(h) A disbursement to a ballot question committee.

(i) A purchase of tickets for use by that public official and members of his or her immediate family and staff to a fund-raising event sponsored by a candidate committee, independent committee, political party committee, or a political committee that does not exceed $100.00 per committee in any calendar year.

(j) A disbursement for an educational course or seminar that maintains or improves skills employed by the public official in carrying out the business of the elective office.

(k) A purchase of advertisements in testimonials, program books, souvenir books, or other publications if the advertisement does not support or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate.

(l) A disbursement for consultation, research, polling, and photographic services not related to a campaign.

(m) A fee paid to a fraternal, veteran, or other service organization.

(n) A payment of a tax liability incurred as a result of authorized transactions by the candidate committee of the public official.

(o) A fee for accounting, professional, or administrative services for the candidate committee of the public official.

(p) A debt or obligation incurred by the candidate committee of a public official for a disbursement authorized by subdivisions (a) to (o), if the debt or obligation was reported in the candidate committee report filed for the year in which the debt or obligation arose.

(2) “Independent expenditure” means an expenditure by a person if the expenditure is not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a ballot question committee or a candidate, a candidate committee or its agents, or a political party committee or its agents, and if the expenditure is not a contribution to a committee.

(3) “Independent expenditure committee” means a committee formed under section 24b for the purpose of making independent expenditures under this act.

(4) “In-kind contribution or expenditure” means a contribution or expenditure other than money.

(5) “Loan” means a transfer of money, property, or anything of ascertainable monetary value in exchange for an obligation, conditional or not, to repay in whole or in part.

(6) “Local ballot question” means a ballot question of a local unit of government to be voted upon in that local unit of government.

(7) “Local elective office” means an elective office at the local unit of government level. Local elective office also includes judge of the court of appeals, judge of the circuit court, judge of the district court, judge of the probate court, and judge of a municipal court.

(8) “Local unit of government” means a district, authority, county, city, village, township, board, school district, intermediate school district, or community college district.

History: 1976, Act 388, Imd. Eff. Dec. 30, 1976 ;-- Am. 1994, Act 411, Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 1994 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 590, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 275, Eff. Jan. 1, 2013 ;-- Am. 2015, Act 269, Imd. Eff. Jan. 6, 2016 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 119, Imd. Eff. Sept. 20, 2017 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 93, Imd. Eff. Oct. 10, 2019