Section 18E. (a) Legal defense funds may be created by a candidate or the candidate’s political committee to defend against a criminal matter or to pay costs associated with a civil matter that is not primarily personal in nature. Inauguration funds may be created by a candidate or the candidate’s political committee to pay for the costs associated with an inaugural event. Recount funds may be created by a candidate or candidate’s political committee to pay for the legal and other costs associated with a recount. Legal defense, inauguration, or recount funds shall be created separately from the candidate’s campaign account or committee, and shall be subject to the following conditions: (1) assets of a political committee may not be used by the fund; (2) any donations received by the fund shall not be deposited into the candidate’s campaign account or a committee account; and (3) donations to such fund shall not be used to benefit a political committee.
(b) Donations to a legal defense, recount, or inauguration fund, if not contributions, shall be disclosed to the director or, if made by a candidate or committee that does not file with the director, the city or town clerk, on or before the fifth day of the month following the month in which the donations are received, complete as of the last day of the preceding month, on forms to be prescribed by the director. The report shall disclose the name and address and employer of all persons donating more than $50 during the reporting period, listed alphabetically, the amount of each such donation, and the total amount of donations received in the reporting period not otherwise reported.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term “donations” shall include donations in money or in-kind, and loans provided to legal defense, recount, or inauguration fund.
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