Use of corporate or labor organization facilities and resources by political committees and persons other than volunteers

Any person (including any individual, group or political committee), other than individual volunteers, who makes any use or rental of the facilities and resources of a corporation or labor organization in connection with federal elections must pay the corporation or labor organization according to the rules. Otherwise, the use may result in a prohibited contribution from the corporation or labor organization.

Facilities

If an individual, group or political committee uses the facilities of a corporation or labor organization for activity in connection with a federal election, the user must reimburse the corporation or labor organization within a commercially reasonable time and at the usual and normal rental charge. In the case of a political committee sponsored by the corporation or labor organization providing the facilities, that payment must be made to the connected organization in advance in order for the political committee to avoid receiving a prohibited contribution from the corporation or labor organization. Use of facilities may include, for example, the use of telephones, office furniture or computers.

Meeting Rooms

Usual and normal rental rate

Generally, any person (including an individual or political committee) who uses a corporation or labor organization’s meeting rooms must reimburse the corporation or labor organization the usual and normal rental charge, within a commercially reasonable time.

Provided by organization’s political committee

As with the use of other facilities, if the corporation or labor organization’s own SSF pays for the room as an in-kind contribution, that payment must be made in advance to avoid a prohibited contribution from the organization.

Civic or community room

A corporation or labor organization may make its meeting rooms available to a political committee or a candidate for free or at a discount under the following conditions:

• The corporation or labor organization customarily makes its meeting rooms available to civic and community groups;
• The corporation or labor organization makes the rooms available to other candidates or political committees upon request; and
• The corporation or labor organization makes the rooms available to the candidates or political committees on the same terms given to other groups (for free or at a discount if those are the terms offered to other groups).

Production of campaign materials

Any person using corporate or labor organization facilities to produce materials in connection with a federal election must reimburse the corporation or labor organization within a commercially reasonable period of time for the usual and normal charge for producing those materials in the commercial market.