Reports by political parties and affiliated party committees; restrictions on contributions and expenditures; penalties.

(1) The state executive committee and each county executive committee of each political party and any affiliated party committee regulated by chapter 103 shall file regular reports of all contributions received and all expenditures made by such committee. However, the reports shall not include contributions and expenditures that are reported to the Federal Election Commission. In addition, when a special election is called to fill a vacancy in office, each state executive committee, each affiliated party committee, and each county executive committee making contributions or expenditures to influence the results of the special election or the preceding special primary election must file campaign treasurers’ reports on the dates set by the Department of State pursuant to s. 100.111. Such reports shall contain the same information as do reports required of candidates by s. 106.07 and shall be filed on the 10th day following the end of each calendar quarter, except that, during the period from the last day for candidate qualifying until the general election, such reports shall be filed on the Friday immediately preceding each special primary election, special election, primary election, and general election. In addition to the reports filed under this section, the state executive committee, each county executive committee, and each affiliated party committee shall file a copy of each prior written acceptance of an in-kind contribution given by the committee during the preceding calendar quarter as required under s. 106.08(6). Each state executive committee and affiliated party committee shall file its reports with the Division of Elections. Each county executive committee shall file its reports with the supervisor of elections in the county in which such committee exists. Any state or county executive committee or affiliated party committee failing to file a report on the designated due date shall be subject to a fine as provided in subsection (3). No separate fine shall be assessed for failure to file a copy of any report required by this section.

(2) The chair and treasurer of each state or county executive committee shall certify as to the correctness of each report filed by them on behalf of such committee. The leader and treasurer of each affiliated party committee under s. 103.092 shall certify as to the correctness of each report filed by them on behalf of such committee. Any committee chair, leader, or treasurer who certifies the correctness of any report while knowing that such report is incorrect, false, or incomplete commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(3)(a) Any state or county executive committee or affiliated party committee failing to file a report on the designated due date shall be subject to a fine as provided in paragraph (b) for each late day. The fine shall be assessed by the filing officer, and the moneys collected shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.

(b) Upon determining that a report is late, the filing officer shall immediately notify the chair of the executive committee or the leader of the affiliated party committee as defined in s. 103.092 as to the failure to file a report by the designated due date and that a fine is being assessed for each late day. The fine shall be $1,000 for a state executive committee, $1,000 for an affiliated party committee, and $50 for a county executive committee, per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater, for the period covered by the late report. However, if an executive committee or an affiliated party committee fails to file a report on the Friday immediately preceding the special election or general election, the fine shall be $10,000 per day for each day a state executive committee is late, $10,000 per day for each day an affiliated party committee is late, and $500 per day for each day a county executive committee is late. Upon receipt of the report, the filing officer shall determine the amount of the fine which is due and shall notify the chair or leader as defined in s. 103.092. Notice is deemed complete upon proof of delivery of written notice to the mailing or street address on record with the filing officer. The filing officer shall determine the amount of the fine due based upon the earliest of the following:

1. When the report is actually received by such officer.

2. When the report is postmarked.

3. When the certificate of mailing is dated.

4. When the receipt from an established courier company is dated.

5. When the electronic receipt issued pursuant to s. 106.0705 is dated.

Such fine shall be paid to the filing officer within 20 days after receipt of the notice of payment due, unless appeal is made to the Florida Elections Commission pursuant to paragraph (c). An officer or member of an executive committee shall not be personally liable for such fine.

(c) The chair of an executive committee or the leader of an affiliated party committee as defined in s. 103.092 may appeal or dispute the fine, based upon unusual circumstances surrounding the failure to file on the designated due date, and may request and shall be entitled to a hearing before the Florida Elections Commission, which shall have the authority to waive the fine in whole or in part. Any such request shall be made within 20 days after receipt of the notice of payment due. In such case, the chair of the executive committee or the leader of the affiliated party committee as defined in s. 103.092 shall, within the 20-day period, notify the filing officer in writing of his or her intention to bring the matter before the commission.

(d) The appropriate filing officer shall notify the Florida Elections Commission of the repeated late filing by an executive committee or affiliated party committee, the failure of an executive committee or affiliated party committee to file a report after notice, or the failure to pay the fine imposed.

(4) Any contribution received by a state or county executive committee or affiliated party committee less than 5 days before an election shall not be used or expended in behalf of any candidate, issue, affiliated party committee, or political party participating in such election.

(5) No state or county executive committee or affiliated party committee, in the furtherance of any candidate or political party, directly or indirectly, shall give, pay, or expend any money, give or pay anything of value, authorize any expenditure, or become pecuniarily liable for any expenditure prohibited by this chapter. However, the contribution of funds by one executive committee to another or to established party organizations for legitimate party or campaign purposes is not prohibited, but all such contributions shall be recorded and accounted for in the reports of the contributor and recipient.

(6)(a) The national, state, and county executive committees of a political party and affiliated party committees may not contribute to any candidate any amount in excess of the limits contained in s. 106.08(2), and all contributions required to be reported under s. 106.08(2) by the national executive committee of a political party shall be reported by the state executive committee of that political party.

(b) A violation of the contribution limits contained in s. 106.08(2) is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A civil penalty equal to three times the amount in excess of the limits contained in s. 106.08(2) shall be assessed against any executive committee found in violation thereof.