Expenditures for travel shall be calculated as provided in this section.
(A) Expenditures may be made for all expenses associated with the purchase or lease and operation of a motor vehicle only if the motor vehicle is used exclusively for purposes of the campaign or for ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the candidate’s duties as the holder of a state elective office and for no other purpose at any time. If campaign contributions are used for the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle must be purchased or leased from a dealer licensed by the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission or the Oklahoma Used Motor Vehicle and Parts Commission, or their successor agencies, on commercially reasonable terms and cannot be purchased from the committee by the candidate or a family member of the candidate.
(B) If a motor vehicle is used both for the purposes identified in subsection (A) and for any other purpose, expenditures may be made only for mileage reimbursement at the rate authorized for use of privately owned motor vehicles by the State Travel Reimbursement Act or its successor statutes, or less.
(C) Expenditures for the rental of a motor vehicle or for the fares of taxicabs, buses or similar modes of transportation shall be permitted for the actual cost of the rental or fare, provided that the rental or fare is at the rate normally charged for others.
(D) Expenditures for air travel on an air carrier shall be permitted for the actual cost of the fare; provided, if air travel is first class, business class or equivalent class, the expenditure shall be permitted only for any lower fare available on the same flight.
(E) Expenditures for air travel on an aircraft operated by a commercial carrier shall be permitted for the usual charter fare or rental charge.
(F) Expenditures for air travel on an aircraft operated by a private individual shall be permitted for the usual charter fare or rental charge of a commercial carrier.
(G) Expenditures for air travel on an aircraft operated by the candidate or a family member of the candidate shall be contributions by the candidate to the campaign and shall be calculated on the same basis as the usual charter fare or rental charge of a commercial carrier, unless the aircraft is rented, in which case the contribution shall be the cost of the rental.
Promulgated by Ethics Commission January 10, 2014; effective upon Legislature’s sine die adjournment May 23, 2014; operative January 1, 2015.