* § 14-206. Use of public matching funds; qualified campaign expenditures. 1. Public matching funds provided pursuant to this title may be used only by an authorized committee for expenditures to further the participating candidate's nomination for election or election, including paying for debts incurred within one year prior to an election to further the participating candidate's nomination for election or election. 2. Such public matching funds may not be used for:

(a) an expenditure in violation of any law;

(b) an expenditure in excess of the fair market value of services, materials, facilities, or other things of value received in exchange;

(c) an expenditure made after the candidate has been finally disqualified from the ballot;

(d) an expenditure made after the only remaining opponent of the candidate has been finally disqualified from the general or special election ballot;

(e) an expenditure made by cash payment;

(f) a contribution or loan or transfer made to or expenditure to support another candidate or political committee or party committee or constituted committee;

(g) an expenditure to support or oppose a candidate for an office other than that which the participating candidate seeks;

(h) gifts, except brochures, buttons, signs, tee shirts and other printed campaign material;

(i) legal fees to defend against a criminal charge;

(j) any expenditure made to challenge the validity of any petition of designation or nomination or any certificate of nomination, acceptance, authorization, declination, or substitution;

(k) payments made to the candidate or a spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, brother or sister of the candidate or spouse or domestic partner of such child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, brother or sister, or to a business entity in which the candidate or any such person has a ten percent or greater ownership interest;

(l) an expenditure made primarily for the purpose of expressly advocating a vote for or against a ballot proposal, other than expenditures made also to further the participating candidate's nomination for election or election;

(m) payment of any settlement, penalty or fine imposed pursuant to federal, state or local law;

(n) payments made through advances, except in the case of individual purchases less than two hundred fifty dollars; or

(o) expenditures to facilitate, support, or otherwise assist in the execution or performance of the duties of public office. * NB Effective November 9, 2022