Recording disbursements for a party committee

Check and cash disbursements

Disbursements must be made by check or similar draft, including electronic transfer, drawn on an account maintained at the committee’s designated campaign depository.

A committee may also make disbursements from a petty cash fund, but petty cash payments to one person for any one purchase or transaction may not exceed $100.

Regardless of whether a disbursement is made by check or similar draft, including electronic transfer, or from a petty cash fund, the required recordkeeping information must be maintained.

Records needed

All disbursements

Each disbursement must be identified by:

• Date;
• Amount of payment;
• Name and address of payee; and
• Purpose of disbursement (a brief explanation of why the disbursement was made, such as "dinner expenses" or "postage").

Disbursements exceeding $200

For each disbursement of more than $200, the committee must keep a receipt, invoice, canceled check or record of electronic transfer (in addition to the information for all disbursements).

Contributions and expenditures on behalf of candidates

In addition to the records discussed for all disbursements, a committee must keep the following records on expenditures made on behalf of candidates:

• Name of candidate and office sought by candidate, including the state and, for House candidates, congressional district; and
• Election for which a contribution was made (to facilitate reporting).

Credit card transactions

For each credit card transaction, a committee must retain a monthly billing statement or customer receipt and the canceled check or record if electronic transfer used to pay the account.

Best efforts to document disbursements

If a treasurer fails to receive a receipt, invoice, canceled check or record of electronic transfer (required for disbursements exceeding $200), the committee must make at least one written effort per transaction to obtain a duplicate copy of the needed documentation in order to show it used "best efforts."