49-1446. Committee; treasurer; depository account; contributions and expenditures; requirements; reports; commingling funds; violations; penalty.

(1) Each committee shall have a treasurer who is a qualified elector of this state. A candidate may appoint himself or herself as the candidate committee treasurer.

(2) Each committee shall designate one account in a financial institution in this state as an official depository for the purpose of depositing all contributions which it receives in the form of or which are converted to money, checks, or other negotiable instruments and for the purpose of making all expenditures. Secondary depositories shall be used for the sole purpose of depositing contributions and promptly transferring the deposits to the committee's official depository.

(3) No contribution shall be accepted and no expenditure shall be made by a committee which has not filed a statement of organization and which does not have a treasurer. When the office of treasurer in a candidate committee is vacant, the candidate shall be the treasurer until the candidate appoints a new treasurer.

(4) No expenditure shall be made by a committee without the authorization of the treasurer or the assistant treasurer. The contributions received or expenditures made by a candidate or an agent of a candidate shall be considered received or made by the candidate committee.

(5) Contributions received by an individual acting in behalf of a committee shall be reported promptly to the committee's treasurer not later than five days before the closing date of any campaign statement required to be filed by the committee and shall be reported to the committee treasurer immediately if the contribution is received less than five days before the closing date.

(6) A contribution shall be considered received by a committee when it is received by the committee treasurer or a designated agent of the committee treasurer notwithstanding the fact that the contribution is not deposited in the official depository by the reporting deadline.

(7) Contributions received by a committee shall not be commingled with any funds of an agent of the committee or of any other person except for funds received or disbursed by a separate segregated political fund for the purpose of supporting or opposing candidates and committees in elections in states other than Nebraska and candidates for federal office, as provided in section 49-1469.06, including independent expenditures made in such elections.

(8) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor.

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