The treasurer of a political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission is legally responsible for that committee's compliance with the federal campaign finance laws. The Commission has developed this page to help treasurers fulfill that responsibility.
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As you'll see, this page not only provides links to an array of helpful publications, online presentations and other pages, it also offers timely tips and reminders to help treasurers meet their obligations under the law. As an added feature, you can subscribe to receive automatic notification of updates to this page via RSS. We also invite you to ask questions, provide feedback and offer your own compliance tips by e-mail to info@fec.gov.
In addition to these online resources, the FEC staffs a toll-free information hotline (800-424-9530), and offers periodic educational workshops for treasurers. Please visit our Outreach page for details, and sign-up to receive program updates by email at Conferences@fec.gov.
This section offers helpful tips -- both from the FEC and from your fellow treasurers -- to help you meet your obligations under the federal campaign finance law. To suggest a tip, please e-mail us at info@fec.gov. Click here to receive the tips as an RSS feed.
| April 29, 2013 | RFAIs Are Not Spam. As mentioned in an earlier tip, the Reports Analysis Division now sends requests for additional information (RFAIs) via email. Make sure that you check your spam folder occasionally, to ensure that RFAIs sent to your committee are not ending up in it, and that you don't miss a deadline to respond to one! |
| April 22, 2013 | Deciding Whether to Become a Candidate. Before deciding to campaign for federal office, an individual may want to “test the waters”—in other words, explore the feasibility of becoming a candidate. An individual who merely tests the waters, but does not campaign for office, does not have to register or report as a candidate even if the individual raises more than $5,000—the dollar threshold that would normally trigger registration. Nevertheless, funds raised to test the waters are subject to the federal law's contribution limitations and prohibitions, and must be disclosed if the individual becomes a candidate. For more information, see this article: [HTML] [PDF] and this e-learning video. |
| April 15, 2013 | April Filing Reminder for Monthly Filers. All PACs and party committees that file monthly have a report due Saturday, April 20, covering the month of March. (Note: PACs and party committees that filed quarterly in 2012 file on a semi-annual basis in 2013.) Please note that even though the FEC is not open on the 20th, the statutory filing deadline cannot be extended. Committees—particularly those that file on paper—should plan accordingly to ensure timely filing. |
| April 8, 2013 | April Filing Reminder for Campaigns. Authorized committees have a report due Monday, April 15, covering activity from the closing date of their last report through March 31. (Note: PACs and party committees that filed quarterly in 2012 file on a semi-annual basis in 2013.) Staff in the Reports Analysis Division (RAD) and Electronic Filing Office will be available until 8:00 pm (EDT) on Monday, April 15, to answer questions regarding the content and filing of reports. To reach RAD, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5) or 202-694-1130. For help with technical issues relating to electronic filing, dial the same toll-free number and press 4 or call 202-694-1307. |
For more, visit our Timely Tips Archive.
This section provides links to publications designed specifically for committee treasurers. Additional publications are available in the FEC Library, through our Quick Answers pages and on our Publications page.
FEC Record News Page
Reading articles posted on the FEC Record news page is one of the best ways to stay current on the law and your obligations as a treasurer. At the beginning of each month, the Commission compiles the previous month's articles into a print-friendly document and e-mails treasurers to let them know it's available. Additionally, an archive of every monthly Record from 1984 - present is available online. Sign-up to receive email notification when a new articles are posted.
Campaign Guides
Campaign Guides are compliance manuals for committees registered with the FEC. The guide supplements summarize relevant post-publication rules and opinions.
- Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees (August 2011) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations (January 2007) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Nonconnected Committees (May 2008) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Political Party Committees (July 2009) [PDF]
- Notice to All Campaign Guide Users (October 2011)
Brochures and Handouts
Technical Information: The PDF files may be viewed or printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. The video presentations and interactive tutorials are available as either MPEG or SWF files. MPEG files may be viewed using a media player, such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime. SWF files may be viewed using Adobe Flash Player.
Brochure Title Advisory Opinions Best Practices for Committee Management Candidate Registration Committee Treasurers Compliance with Laws Outside the FEC's Jurisdiction HTML Contributions FEC and the Federal Campaign Finance Law La CEF y la Ley para las Campañas de Elecciones Federales
(en Español)Federal and State Campaign Finance Laws Filing a Complaint Foreign Nationals Independent and Coordinated Expenditures Internet Communications and Activity Joint Fundraising Local Party Activity Special Notices on Political Ads and Solicitations Separate Segregated Funds and Nonconnected PACs Testing the Waters Volunteer Activity Actividades Voluntarias
(en Español)Other
- Compliance Map
Click on your state to access reporting dates and other applicable compliance information, including independent expenditure periods, coordination timeframes, FEA and EC periods, as well as disclosure reports and ballot access information.
- Guideline for Presentation in Good Order (2008) (for Presidential campaigns seeking public funding) [PDF] [Word] [Appendices]
- Guidebook for Complainants and Respondents on the FEC Enforcement Process [PDF; 22 pages]
A summary of the FEC ’s general enforcement policies and procedures that provides a step-by-step guide through the agency’s enforcement process.
- Enforcement Procedures - FEC Directive 68 [PDF; 4 pages]
This section supplements the reporting and filing information contained in the publications listed above with links to additional information. Treasurers may also seek reporting and filing assistance from the Campaign Finance Analyst who reviews the committee's reports. To reach the Reports Analysis Division, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5).