A. No person may contribute more than:
1. The limits set forth in the Rules of the Ethics Commission to a political party committee or political action committee;
2. The limits set forth in the Rules of the Ethics Commission to a candidate committee for a candidate for state office; or
3. The limits set forth in the Rules of the Ethics Commission to a campaign committee for a candidate for municipal office or to a campaign committee for a candidate for county office or to a municipal or county political committee.
B. No candidate, candidate committee, or other committee shall knowingly accept contributions in excess of the amounts provided herein.
C. These restrictions shall not apply to a committee supporting or opposing a state question or local question or to a candidate making a contribution of his or her own funds to his or her own campaign.
D. It shall be prohibited for a campaign contribution to be made to a particular candidate or committee through an intermediary or conduit for the purpose of:
1. Evading requirements of effective Rules of the Ethics Commission promulgated pursuant to Article XXIX of the Oklahoma Constitution or laws relating to the reporting of contributions and expenditures; or
2. Exceeding the contribution limitations imposed by subsection A of this section.
Any person making a contribution in violation of this subsection or serving as an intermediary or conduit for such a contribution, upon conviction, shall be subject to the penalties prescribed in subsections E and F of this section.
E. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this section where the aggregate amount contributed exceeds the contribution limitation specified in subsection A of this section by Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or more, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of up to four times the amount exceeding the contribution limitation or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for up to one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
F. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this section where the aggregate amount contributed is less than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in excess of the contribution limitation specified in subsection A of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than three times the amount exceeding the contribution limitation or One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever is greater, or by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
G. No lobbyist or lobbyist principal as defined in the Rules of the Ethics Commission shall make or promise to make a contribution to, or solicit or promise to solicit a contribution for a member of the Oklahoma Legislature or a candidate for a state legislative office during any regular legislative session, beginning the first Monday in February, through its adjournment, and for five (5) calendar days following sine die adjournment. A member of the Oklahoma Legislature or a candidate for a state legislative office shall not intentionally solicit or accept a contribution from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal as defined in the Rules of the Ethics Commission during any regular legislative session and for five (5) calendar days after sine die adjournment. For the purposes of this subsection, a candidate shall mean any person who has filed a statement of organization for a state legislative office pursuant to the Rules of the Ethics Commission.
H. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of subsection G of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Added by Laws 1995, c. 343, § 2, eff. July 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 155, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 75, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2008, c. 282, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2008; Laws 2014, c. 312, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2015.
NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 155 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.