19:44A-21. Criminal penalties; forfeiture of office

21. a. Any person who purposely and with intent to conceal or misrepresent contributions given or received or expenditures made or incurred to aid or promote the nomination, election or defeat of any candidate for public office or party position, or to aid or promote the passage or defeat of a public question in any election, or to aid the dissemination of political information in connection with any election makes or accepts any contribution or makes or incurs any expenditure in violation of section 7, 11 or 20 of this act is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

b. Any person who purposely files or prepares or assists in the preparation for filing or purposely acquiesces in the preparation or filing of any report required under this act which the person knows is false, inaccurate or incomplete in any material particular; or who purposely fails or refuses to file any such report when required to do so pursuant to the provisions of this act; or who purposely supplies any information which he knows to be false, inaccurate or incomplete to any person preparing or assisting in the preparation of any such report, with the knowledge that such information is intended for the purposes of such report, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

c. The nomination for or election to any office of any candidate who is guilty of any violation within the description of subsection a. or b. of this section shall be void, and the office shall be filled as required by law in the case of a vacancy; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be construed in derogation of the constitutional authority of either House of the Legislature to be the judge of the election and qualification of its own members.

d. Any individual, partnership, membership organization or other association who or which, directly or through an agent, purposely makes a loan or advance of money or other thing of value in violation of section 11 or section 20 of P.L. 1973, c. 83 (C. 19:44A-11 or C. 19:44A-20) is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

e. Any individual, partnership, membership organization or other association who or which purposely makes a contribution as a result of having been induced to do so through the receipt, promise or offer of a loan or advance of money or other thing of value, the making of which loan or advance would constitute a violation of section 11 or section 20 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-11 or C.19:44A-20), is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

L.1973,c.83,s.21; amended 1993,c.65,s.12.