Section 22A: Expenditures for political purpose; report; punishment for violation; examination of accounts

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Section 22A. The treasurer of any city, town, or other governmental unit which has given, paid, expended or contributed, or promised to give, pay, expend or contribute any money or any valuable thing in order to influence or affect the vote on any question submitted to the voters of the commonwealth shall file reports with the director setting forth the amount or value of every gift, payment, expenditure of contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, together with the date, purpose, and full name and address of the person to whom it was made.

The treasurer of any city, town, or other governmental unit which has given, paid, expended or contributed, or promised to give, pay, expend or contribute any money or any valuable thing in order to influence or affect the vote on any other question submitted to the voters of any city or town or any part of any city or town, shall file reports with the clerk of such city or town setting forth the amount or value of every gift, payment, expenditure of contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, together with the date, purpose, and full name and address of the person to whom it was made.

Such reports shall be filed as follows:—

(1)the sixtieth day prior to the election; on or before

(2)the fifth and twentieth day of each month complete as of the preceding first and fifteenth day of the month, until the election, and thereafter;

(3)the fifth day of each month until all declared liabilities have been discharged.

Any officer of a governmental unit violating any provision thereof or authorizing such violation, or any person who violates or in any way knowingly aids or abets the violation of any provision thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

The director of campaign and political finance, or in the case of a city or town, the clerk of such city or town, shall examine the accounts submitted by cities and towns for political expenditures, and may order restitution of public funds which have been adjudicated to have been spent contrary to law by public officials. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as authorizing the expenditures of public monies for political purposes.