West Virginia Code 3-12-15 – Criminal penalties
(a) A participating or certified candidate who, either personally or through his or her committee, knowingly accepts contributions or benefits in excess of those allowed under this article, spends or obligates funds in excess of the public campaign financing funding to which he or she is entitled or uses the benefits or funding for a purpose other than those permitted under this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500, or confined in jail for up to thirty days or both.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 3-12-15
- Candidate: shall mean any person to be voted for at an election. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
- Certified candidate: means an individual seeking election to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals who has been certified in accordance with section ten of this article as having met all of the requirements for receiving public campaign financing from the fund. See West Virginia Code 3-12-3
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Election: shall mean the procedure whereby the voters of this state or any subdivision thereof elect persons to fill public offices, or elect members of a Constitutional convention, or vote on public questions. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
- Financial agent: means any individual acting for and by himself or herself, or any two or more individuals acting together or cooperating in a financial way to aid or take part in the nomination or election of any candidate for public office, or to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party at any election. See West Virginia Code 3-12-3
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) A participating or certified candidate who, either personally or through his or her committee or financial agent, provides false information to, or conceals or withholds information from, the State Election Commission or the Secretary of State is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000, or confined in jail for up to one year or both.