(1) No person shall obtain or attempt to obtain money by assessment or coercion from any state or federal employee with the purpose of using the money to promote or aid the candidacy of any person, or any political party, or any question to be voted upon by the voters of this state or any section or portion of this state in any state, national, district, county, city or precinct election, or primary election, or in securing delegates or in any manner where nominations are to be made by convention. Every assessment and each act of coercion shall constitute a separate offense.
(2) The term “assessment,” as used in this section, means the fixing of any amount, to be given in money by any employee, and the soliciting of that amount or any amount in money from a person so assessed. The term “coercion,” as used in this section, means any threat of discharging any employee for failure to contribute any amount of money for campaign or political purposes, or any attempt to force contribution of any amount of money for political or campaign purposes by any influence, or discharging, demoting or reducing the salary or wages of any employee for failure to contribute portions of his salary or wages, or by putting such employee in fear in any manner.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 121.320

  • City: includes town. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Contribution: means any:
    (a) Payment, distribution, loan, deposit, or gift of money or other thing of value, to a candidate, his or her agent, a slate of candidates, its authorized agent, a committee, or contributing organization. See Kentucky Statutes 121.015
  • Election: means any primary, regular, or special election to fill vacancies regardless of whether a candidate or slate of candidates is opposed or unopposed in an election. See Kentucky Statutes 121.015
  • Federal: refers to the United States. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010

(3) The term “state or federal employee,” as used in this section, means any person who holds any appointive office in any department of the state or federal government, and who receives wages or salary for his work from the funds of the state or the United States.
History: Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 130, sec. 194.