Audits and investigations shall be made pursuant to Section 90000 with respect to the reports and statements of:

(a) Each lobbying firm and each lobbyist employer who employs one or more lobbyists shall be subject to an audit on a random basis with these lobbying firms or lobbyist employers having a 25-percent chance of being audited. When a lobbying firm or lobbyist employer is audited, the individual lobbyists who are employed by the lobbying firm or the lobbyist employer shall also be audited.

(b) Each statewide, Supreme Court, court of appeal, or Board of Equalization candidate in a direct primary or general election for whom it is determined that twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more in contributions have been raised or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more in expenditures have been made, whether by the candidate or by a committee or committees controlled by the candidate or whose participation in the direct primary or general election is primarily in support of the candidate’s candidacy. Each statewide candidate whose contributions and expenditures are less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be subject to an audit on a random basis of 10 percent of the number of such candidates.

(c) Each candidate for the Legislature or superior court judge in a direct primary or general election shall be subject to audit by random selection if it is determined that fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more in contributions have been received or fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more in expenditures have been made, whether by the candidate or by a committee or committees controlled by the candidate or primarily supporting the candidate’s candidacy. Random selection shall be made of 25 percent of the Senate districts, 25 percent of the Assembly districts, and 25 percent of the judicial offices contested in an election year.

(d) Each candidate for the Legislature in a special primary or special runoff election for whom it is determined that fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more in contributions have been raised or fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more in expenditures have been made, whether by the candidate or by a committee or committees controlled by the candidate or primarily supporting the candidate’s candidacy.

(e) Each controlled committee of any candidate who is being audited pursuant to subdivision (b), (c), or (d).

(f) Each committee, other than a committee specified in subdivision (c) of Section 82013, primarily supporting or opposing a candidate who is being audited pursuant to subdivision (b), (c), or (d) if it is determined that the committee has expended more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

(g) Each committee, other than a committee specified in subdivision (c) of Section 82013, whose participation is primarily in support of or in opposition to a state measure or state measures if it is determined that the committee has expended more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) on such measure or measures.

(h) Each committee, other than a committee defined in subdivision (c) of Section 82013, a controlled committee or a committee primarily supporting or opposing a state candidate or measure, if it is determined that the committee has raised or expended more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) supporting or opposing state candidates or state measures during any calendar year, except that if the commission determines from an audit report that a committee is in substantial compliance with the provisions of the act, the committee thereafter shall be subject to an audit on a random basis with each such committee having a 25-percent chance of being audited.

(i) (1) With respect to local candidates and their controlled committees, the commission shall promulgate regulations which provide a method of selection for these audits.

(2) With respect to candidates for the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, the commission shall promulgate regulations that provide a method for selection of these audits. The Public Employees’ Retirement System shall reimburse the commission for all reasonable expenses incurred pursuant to this section.

(j) In accordance with subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (h), the Fair Political Practices Commission shall select by lot the persons or districts to be audited on a random basis. For campaign audits the selection shall be made in public after the last date for filing the first report or statement following the general or special election for which the candidate ran, or following the election at which the measure was adopted or defeated. For lobbying firm and lobbyist employer audits, the selection shall be made in public in February of odd-numbered years.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 50, Sec. 232. (AB 378) Effective January 1, 2022. Note: This section was added on June 4, 1974, by initiative Prop. 9.)