No contributions accepted by a political party committee, a political action committee or a candidate committee may be converted by any person to personal use. “Personal use” includes any use of funds to fulfill a commitment, obligation or expense of any person that would exist irrespective of a political party’s activities, a political action committee’s activities or a candidate’s campaign or responsibilities as holder of a state elective office, as the case may be. “Personal use” by a candidate includes, but is not limited to, food purchased for daily consumption in the candidate’s home or supplies needed to maintain the household; clothing (excluding campaign clothing of low monetary value such as T-shirts or caps); mortgage, rent or utility payments for the candidate’s personal residence, even if part of the residence is being used for the campaign; use of a motor vehicle for noncampaign purposes or non-officeholder expenses; interest on a loan made by the candidate or the candidate’s spouse to the campaign; costs of a vacation or other trip not related to the campaign or officeholder expenses; admission to athletic events, concerts, theater or other forms of entertainment (except for events that are part of the campaign); dues in country clubs, health clubs, recreational facilities or other nonpolitical organizations and earnings from investment of contributions other than as permitted by these Rules.
Promulgated by Ethics Commission January 10, 2014; effective upon Legislature’s sine die adjournment May 23, 2014; operative January 1, 2015.