Sec. 21a.

(1) A candidate committee of a candidate who is elected or appointed to an elective office may make an expenditure for an incidental expense for the elective office to which that candidate was elected or appointed. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this act, an expenditure for an incidental expense by a candidate committee under this section is an expenditure under this act.

(2) A candidate committee of a candidate who is elected or appointed to an elective office shall not make an expenditure to defend the elected or appointed official in a civil or criminal action or to pay legal costs unless the action or legal costs do any of the following:

(a) Relate to a recall election.

(b) Relate to a recount of votes as provided in the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.1 to 168.992.

(c) Relate to compliance with this act or the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.1 to 168.992.

(d) Tangibly benefit the nomination or election of a candidate.

(3) Any legal costs not authorized under subsection (2) shall be paid from a legal defense fund as provided in the legal defense fund act, 2008 PA 288, MCL 15.521 to 15.539.

(4) In addition to any other requirements of this act, a campaign statement of a candidate committee shall contain the purpose of any expenditure for legal costs made by that committee as described in subsection (2).

(5) An individual who violates subsection (2) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.

History: Add. 1994, Act 411, Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 1994 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 275, Eff. Jan. 1, 2013