Connecticut General Statutes 9-604 – Formation of committee by candidate. Exceptions. Exploratory committees. Justice of the peace slate candidates
(a) Each candidate for a particular public office or the position of town committee member shall form a single candidate committee for which he shall designate a treasurer and a depository institution situated in this state as the depository for the committee’s funds and shall file a committee statement containing such designations, not later than ten days after becoming a candidate, with the proper authority as required by § 9-603. The candidate may also designate a deputy treasurer on such committee statement. The treasurer and any deputy treasurer so designated shall sign a statement accepting such designation which the candidate shall include as part of, or file with, the committee statement.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 9-604
- Candidate: means an individual who seeks nomination for election or election to public office whether or not such individual is elected, and for the purposes of this chapter and chapter 157, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomination for election or election if such individual has (A) been endorsed by a party or become eligible for a position on the ballot at an election or primary, or (B) solicited or received contributions, other than for a party committee, made expenditures or given such individual's consent to any other person, other than a party committee, to solicit or receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent to bring about such individual's nomination for election or election to any such office. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- candidate committee: includes candidate committees for participating and nonparticipating candidates, unless the context of a provision clearly indicates otherwise. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Committee: means a party committee, political committee or a candidate committee organized, as the case may be, for a single primary, election or referendum, or for ongoing political activities, to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party, any one or more candidates for public office or the position of town committee member or any referendum question. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Deputy treasurer: means the individual appointed by the candidate or by the chairperson of a committee to serve in the capacity of the treasurer if the treasurer is unable to perform the treasurer's duties. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Election: means any electors' meeting at which the electors choose public officials by use of voting tabulators or by paper ballots as provided in §. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- expenditure: means :
(1) Any purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value, when made to promote the success or defeat of any candidate seeking the nomination for election, or election, of any person or for the purpose of aiding or promoting the success or defeat of any referendum question or the success or defeat of any political party. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601b
- Exploratory committee: means a committee established by a candidate for a single primary or election (A) to determine whether to seek nomination or election to (i) the General Assembly, (ii) a state office, as defined in subsection (e) of §. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Municipality: means any city, borough or town within the state. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Organization: means all labor organizations, (A) as defined in the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as from time to time amended, or (B) as defined in subdivision (9) of §. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Party committee: means a state central committee or a town committee. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Political committee: means (A) a committee organized by a business entity or organization, (B) persons other than individuals, or two or more individuals organized or acting jointly conducting their activities in or outside the state, (C) an exploratory committee, (D) a committee established by or on behalf of a slate of candidates in a primary for the office of justice of the peace, but does not mean a candidate committee or a party committee, (E) a legislative caucus committee, or (F) a legislative leadership committee. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Solicit: means (A) requesting that a contribution be made, (B) participating in any fundraising activities for a candidate committee, exploratory committee, political committee or party committee, including, but not limited to, forwarding tickets to potential contributors, receiving contributions for transmission to any such committee, serving on the committee that is hosting a fundraising event, introducing the candidate or making other public remarks at a fundraising event, being honored or otherwise recognized at a fundraising event, or bundling contributions, (C) serving as chairperson, treasurer or deputy treasurer of any such committee, or (D) establishing a political committee for the sole purpose of soliciting or receiving contributions for any committee. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
- Treasurer: means the individual appointed by a candidate or by the chairperson of a party committee or a political committee to receive and disburse funds on behalf of the candidate or committee. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-601
(b) The formation of a candidate committee by a candidate and the filing of statements pursuant to § 9-608 shall not be required if the candidate files a certification with the proper authority required by § 9-603, not later than ten days after becoming a candidate, and any of the following conditions exist for the campaign: (1) The candidate is one of a slate of candidates whose campaigns are funded solely by a party committee or a political committee formed for a single election or primary and expenditures made on behalf of the candidate’s campaign are reported by the committee sponsoring the candidate’s candidacy; (2) the candidate finances the candidate’s campaign entirely from personal funds and does not solicit or receive contributions, provided if said candidate personally makes an expenditure or expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars to, or for the benefit of, said candidate’s campaign for nomination at a primary or election to an office or position, said candidate shall file statements according to the same schedule and in the same manner as is required of a treasurer of a candidate committee under § 9-608; (3) the candidate does not receive or expend funds in excess of one thousand dollars; or (4) the candidate does not receive or expend any funds, including personal funds, for the candidate’s campaign. If the candidate no longer qualifies for the exemption under any of these conditions, the candidate shall comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, not later than three business days thereafter and shall provide the candidate’s designated treasurer with all information required for completion of the treasurer’s statements and filings as required by § 9-608. If the candidate no longer qualifies for the exemption due to the condition stated in the candidate’s certification but so qualifies due to a different condition specified in this subsection, the candidate shall file an amended certification with the proper authority and provide the new condition for the candidate’s qualification not later than three business days following the change in circumstances of the financing of the candidate’s campaign. The filing of a certification under this subsection shall not relieve the candidate from compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(c) The chairman of a political committee formed to support a single candidate for public office shall, not later than seven days after filing a statement of organization with the proper authority under § 9-603, send the candidate a notice, by certified mail, of such filing. If a candidate (1) does not, within fourteen days after receiving such notice, disavow such committee, in writing, to the proper authority under § 9-603, or (2) disavows such committee within such period, but, at any time before such disavowal, accepts funds from the committee for his campaign, such committee shall be deemed to have been authorized by such candidate and shall constitute a candidate committee for the purposes of this chapter. No candidate shall establish, agree to or assist in establishing, or give his consent or authorization to establishing a committee other than a single candidate committee to promote his candidacy for any public office except that a candidate may establish an exploratory committee. The candidate shall designate on the statement of organization for the exploratory committee the type of office to which the candidate is determining whether to seek nomination or election, as follows: (A) The General Assembly, (B) a state office, or (C) any other public office. The candidate may also certify on the statement of organization that the candidate will not be a candidate for the office of state representative. Not later than fifteen days after a public declaration by the candidate of the candidate’s intention to seek nomination or election to a particular public office, the candidate shall form a single candidate committee, except that in the case of a candidate establishing an exploratory committee for purposes including aiding or promoting the candidate’s candidacy for nomination or election to the General Assembly or a state office, the candidate shall form a single candidate committee not later than fifteen days after the date that the treasurer of such exploratory committee is required to file a notice of intent to dissolve the committee under subsection (f) of § 9-608. As used in this subsection, “state office” has the same meaning as provided in subsection (e) of § 9-610.
(d) A slate of candidates in a primary for the office of justice of the peace shall designate a chairperson to form a single political committee to comply with the requirements of § 9-605, except if the individuals on the slate unanimously consent to have their campaign financed solely by a town committee and such committee consents to such financing by filing a statement of consent with the town clerk of the municipality in which the primary is to be held.