As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

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1.    “Affiliate” means an organization that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another organization. For purposes of this definition, control means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of an organization, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial contract for goods or nonmanagement services, or otherwise. Control is presumed to exist if an organization, directly or indirectly, owns, controls, holds with the power to vote, or holds proxies representing fifty percent or more of the voting securities of any other organization.

2.    “Association” means any club, association, union, brotherhood, fraternity, organization, or group of any kind of two or more persons, including labor unions, trade associations, professional associations, or governmental associations, which is united for any purpose, business, or object and which assesses any dues, membership fees, or license fees in any amount, or which maintains a treasury fund in any amount. The term does not include corporations, cooperative corporations, limited liability companies, political committees, or political parties.

3.    “Conduit” means a person that is not a political party, political committee, or candidate and which receives a contribution of money and transfers the contribution to a candidate, political party, or political committee when the contribution is designated specifically for the candidate, political party, or political committee and the person has no discretion as to the recipient and the amount transferred. The term includes a transactional intermediary, including a credit card company or a money transfer service that pays or transfers money to a candidate on behalf of another person.

4.    “Contribution” means a gift, transfer, conveyance, provision, receipt, subscription, loan, advance, deposit of money, or anything of value, made for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to public office or aiding or opposing the circulation or passage of a statewide initiative or referendum petition or measure. The term also means a contract, promise, or agreement, express or implied, whether or not legally enforceable, to make a contribution for any of the above purposes. The term includes funds received by a candidate for public office or a political party or committee which are transferred or signed over to that candidate, party, or committee from another candidate, party, or political committee or other source including a conduit. The term “anything of value” includes any good or service of more than a nominal value. The term “nominal value” means the cost, price, or worth of the good or service is trivial, token, or of no appreciable value. The term “contribution” does not include:

a.    A loan of money from a bank or other lending institution made in the regular course of business.

b.    Time spent by volunteer campaign or political party workers.

c.    Money or anything of value received for commercial transactions, including rents, advertising, or sponsorships made as a part of a fair market value bargained-for exchange.

d.    Money or anything of value received for anything other than a political purpose.

e.    Products or services for which the actual cost or fair market value are reimbursed by a payment of money.

f.    An independent expenditure.

g.    The value of advertising paid by a political party, multicandidate political committee, or caucus which is in support of a candidate.

h.    In-kind contributions from a candidate to the candidate’s campaign.

5.    “Cooperative corporations”, “corporations”, and “limited liability companies” are as defined in this code, and for purposes of this chapter “corporations” includes nonprofit corporations. However, if a political committee, the only purpose of which is accepting    contributions and making expenditures for a political purpose, incorporates for liability purposes only, the committee is not considered a corporation for the purposes of this chapter.

6.    “Expenditure” means:

a.    A gift, transfer, conveyance, provision, loan, advance, payment, distribution, disbursement, outlay, or deposit of money or anything of value, except a loan of money from a bank or other lending institution made in the regular course of business, made for a political purpose or for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure.

b.    A contract, promise, or agreement, express or implied, whether or not legally enforceable, to make any expenditure.

c.    The transfer of funds by a political committee to another political committee. d.    An independent expenditure.

7.    “Expenditure categories” means the categories into which expenditures must be grouped for reports under this chapter. The expenditure categories are:

a.    Advertising; b.    Campaign loan repayment; c.    Operations; d.    Travel; and

e.    Miscellaneous.

8.    “Independent expenditure” means an expenditure made for a political purpose or for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure if the expenditure is made without the express or implied consent, authorization, or cooperation of, and not in concert with or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, committee, or political party.

9.    “Patron” means a person who owns equity interest in the form of stock, shares, or membership or maintains similar financial rights in a cooperative corporation.

10.    “Person” means an individual, partnership, political committee, association, corporation, cooperative corporation, limited liability company, or other organization or group of persons.

11.    “Personal benefit” means a benefit to the candidate or another person which is not for a political purpose or related to a candidate’s responsibilities as a public officeholder, and any other benefit that would convert a contribution to personal income.

12.    “Political committee” means any committee, club, association, or other group of persons which receives contributions or makes expenditures for political purposes and includes:

a.    A political action committee not connected to another organization and free to solicit funds from the general public, or derived from a corporation, cooperative corporation, limited liability company, affiliate, subsidiary, or an association that solicits or receives contributions from its employees or members or makes expenditures for political purposes on behalf of its employees or members; b.    A candidate committee established to support an individual candidate seeking public office which solicits or receives contributions for political purposes; c.    A political organization registered with the federal election commission, which solicits or receives contributions or makes expenditures for political purposes; d.    A multicandidate political committee, including a caucus, established to support multiple groups or slates of candidates seeking public office, which solicits or receives contributions for political purposes; and

e.    A measure committee, including an initiative or referendum sponsoring committee at any stage of its organization, which solicits or receives contributions or makes expenditures for the purpose of aiding or opposing a measure sought to be voted upon by the voters of the state, including any activities undertaken for the purpose of drafting an initiative or referendum petition, seeking approval of the secretary of state for the circulation of a petition, or seeking approval of the submitted petitions.

    13.    “Political party” means any association, committee, or organization which nominates a candidate for election to any office which may be filled by a vote of the electors of this state or any of its political subdivisions and whose name appears on the election ballot as the candidate of such association, committee, or organization.

14.    “Political purpose” means any activity undertaken in support of or in opposition to the election or nomination of a candidate to public office and includes using “vote for”, “oppose”, or any similar support or opposition language in any advertisement whether the activity is undertaken by a candidate, a political committee, a political party, or any person. In the period thirty days before a primary election and sixty days before a special or general election, “political purpose” also means any activity in which a candidate’s name, office, district, or any term meaning the same as “incumbent” or “challenger” is used in support of or in opposition to the election or nomination of a candidate to public office. The term does not include activities undertaken in the performance of a duty of a public office or any position taken in any bona fide news story, commentary, or editorial.

15.    “Public office” means every office to which an individual can be elected by vote of the people under the laws of this state.

16.    “Subsidiary” means an affiliate of a corporation under the control of the corporation directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

17.    “Ultimate and true source” means the person that knowingly contributed over two hundred dollars solely to influence a statewide election or an election for the legislative assembly.