AO 2019-17 Government Accountability Institute
Application of media exemption.
Advisory opinions
Advisory opinions are official Commission responses to questions about how federal campaign finance law applies to specific, factual situations.
This archive contains advisory opinions from 1975 to the present. It also contains documents related to advisory opinions — such as requests, drafts and public comments — from 1990 to the present.
The advisory opinion processPending advisory opinion requests
Once the Office of the General Counsel has determined that an advisory opinion request meets all of the requirements to move forward for consideration by the Commission, the request is made public and is available for public comment for ten days.
Learn how to commentAO 2019-16 Shemanski
Nonauthorized committee use of abbreviation of candiate's name.
AO 2019-15 NORPAC
NORPAC, a political action committee, asks whether it may deduct a percentage fee from earmarked contributions that it forwards in order to reimburse its own solicitation and administrative costs.
Recent advisory opinions issued
The Commission issues an advisory opinion when four or more Commissioners vote to approve it. These votes almost always occur during an open meeting.
Explore all advisory opinionsAO 2019-14 Arizona Libertarian Party
Political committee status of state party organization
AO 2019-13 MJ for Texas
Use of campaign funds to pay for child care
AO 2019-12 Area 1 Security, Inc. II
Technology corporation's provision of low-cost cybersecurity services to federal candidates and political committees.
AO 2019-11 Pro-Life Democratic Candidate PAC
Draft fund with contributions earmarked for pro-life candidates.
AO 2019-10 Price for Congress
Commission did not reach an agreement, so no AO was issued.
AO 2019-09 Mad Dog PAC
Using Candidate Photo and Name on nonconnected PAC fundraising merchandise
AO 2019-08 Omar2020
Requestor, a congressional campaign committee, asks whether it may distribute digital blockchain tokens (with no monetary value) to volunteers and supporters as an incentive to engage in volunteer activities.
AO 2019-06 Leigh Brown
Definition of Electioneering Communication (Commission did not reach an agreement, so no AO was issued).
AO 2019-05 System73
Live-streaming of political committee events.
AO 2019-04 Prytany LLC
Permissibility of online contribution processing platform.
AO 2019-03 DC Libertarian Party
Recognition as state committee of a political party.
AO 2019-02 Bill Nelson for Senate
Use of excess recount funds.
AO 2019-01 It Starts Today
Earmarked contributions to nominees and presumptive nominees conditioned on a public endorsement.
AO 2018-13 OsiaNetwork LLC
Application of volunteer services exception to cryptocurrency mining.
AO 2018-12 Defending Digital Campaigns, Inc.
Provision of free cybersecurity resources to candidates and political party committees, by nonprofit corporation and its private sector sponsors and partners.