Sec. 51.

(1) A person, other than a committee, that makes an independent expenditure, advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question, in an amount of $100.01 or more in a calendar year shall file a report of the independent expenditure, within 10 days after making that independent expenditure, with the clerk of the county of residence of that person. If the independent expenditure advocates the election or defeat of a candidate for state elective office or for judicial office, or for the qualification, passage, or defeat of a statewide ballot question, or if the person making the independent expenditure is not a resident of this state, the person shall file the report with the secretary of state in lieu of filing with a clerk of a county. The report required under this section must be made on an independent expenditure report form provided by the secretary of state, include the date of the expenditure, a brief description of the nature of the expenditure, the amount, the name and address of the person to whom it was paid, the name and address of the person filing the report, together with the name, address, occupation, employer, and principal place of business of each person that contributed $100.01 or more to the expenditure, and identify the candidate or ballot question for or against which the independent expenditure was made. The filing official receiving the report shall forward copies, as required, to the appropriate filing officers as described in section 36.

(2) If a person fails to file a report as required under this section, that person shall pay a late filing fee. If the person has made independent expenditures totaling less than $10,000.00, the late filing fee is $25.00 for each business day the report remains unfiled, but not to exceed $1,000.00. If the person has made independent expenditures totaling $10,000.00 or more, the late filing fee is $50.00 for each business day the report remains unfiled, but not to exceed $5,000.00. A person that violates this subsection by failing to file a report required under this section for more than 30 days after the report is required to be filed is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.

History: 1976, Act 388, Eff. June 1, 1977 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 95, Imd. Eff. June 21, 1989 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 119, Imd. Eff. Sept. 20, 2017 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 93, Imd. Eff. Oct. 10, 2019