AO 2019-07 Area 1 Security, Inc.
Technology corporation's provision of low- or no-cost cybersecurity services to federal candidates and political committees.
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 2019-05 System73
Payments to political committees for live-streaming of events.
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.
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 2019-06 Leigh Brown
Definition of Electioneering Communication (Commission did not reach an agreement, so no AO was issued).
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 2018-15 Wyden
Use of campaign funds for cyber security expenses.