11.05

11.05 Registration of political committees, groups and individuals.

11.05(3)

(3) Required information. The statement of registration shall include, where applicable:

11.05(3)(a)

(a) The name and mailing address of the committee, group or individual.

11.05(3)(c)

(c) In the case of a committee, a statement as to whether the committee is a personal campaign committee, a political party committee, a legislative campaign committee, a support committee or a special interest committee.

11.05(3)(f)

(f) The name, mailing address, and position of other principal officers, including officers and members of the finance committee, if any.

11.05(3)(h)

(h) The nature of any referendum which is supported or opposed.

11.05(9)

(9) Conduits.

11.05(12)

(12) Time of registration; acceptance of unlawful contributions.

11.05(1)

(1) Committees and groups. Except as provided in § 9.10 (2)(d), every committee other than a personal campaign committee which makes or accepts contributions, incurs obligations, or makes disbursements in a calendar year in an aggregate amount in excess of $25, and every political group subject to registration under § 11.23 shall file a statement with the appropriate filing officer giving the information required by sub. (3). In the case of any committee other than a personal campaign committee, the statement shall be filed by the treasurer. A personal campaign committee shall register under sub. (2g) or (2r).

11.05(3)(e)

(e) The name and mailing address of the campaign treasurer and any other custodian of books and accounts. Unless otherwise directed by the registrant on the registration form and except as otherwise provided in this chapter or any rule of the board, all mailings which are required by law or by rule of the board shall be sent to the treasurer at the treasurer’s address indicated upon the form.

11.05(3)(L)

(L) The name and address of the campaign depository account and of any other institution where funds are kept and the account number of the depository account and of each additional account and safety deposit box used.

11.05(3)(n)

(n) In the case of a labor organization, separate segregated fund under s. 11.38 (1) (a) 2. or conduit established by a labor organization, a statement as to whether the organization is incorporated, and if so, the date of incorporation and whether or not such incorporation is under ch. 181.

11.05(3)(o)

(o) In the case of a legislative campaign committee, a statement signed by the leader of the party in the house for which the committee is established attesting to the fact that the committee is the only authorized legislative campaign committee for that party in that house.

11.05(2)

(2) Individuals. Except as provided in § 9.10 (2)(d), every individual, other than a candidate or agent of a candidate, who accepts contributions, incurs obligations, or makes disbursements in a calendar year in an aggregate amount in excess of $25 to support or oppose the election or nomination of a candidate at an election and every individual subject to registration under § 11.23 shall file a statement with the appropriate filing officer giving the information required by sub. (3). An individual who guarantees a loan on which an individual, committee or group subject to a registration requirement defaults is not subject to registration under this subsection solely as a result of such default.

11.05(2g)

(2g) Candidates and personal campaign committees. Every candidate as defined in § 11.01 (1) shall file a registration statement with the appropriate filing officer giving the information required by sub. (3). If a candidate appoints another person as campaign treasurer the candidate’s registration statement shall be cosigned by the candidate and the candidate’s appointed treasurer. A candidate who receives no contributions and makes no disbursements shall file such statement as provided in § 11.10 (1) but need not appoint a campaign treasurer or designate a campaign depository account until the first contribution is received or disbursement made.

11.05(2r)

(2r) General reporting exemptions. Any committee, group, or individual, other than a committee or individual required to file an oath under § 11.06 (7), who or which does not anticipate accepting contributions, making disbursements or incurring obligations in an aggregate amount in excess of $1,000 in a calendar year and does not anticipate accepting any contribution or contributions from a single source, other than contributions made by a candidate to his or her own campaign, exceeding $100 in that year, or exceeding $750 in that year for a group or individual subject to registration under § 11.23, may indicate on its registration statement that the committee, group, or individual will not accept contributions, incur obligations or make disbursements in the aggregate in excess of $1,000 in any calendar year and will not accept any contribution or contributions from a single source, other than contributions made by a candidate to his or her own campaign, exceeding $100 in that year, or exceeding $750 in that year for a group or individual subject to registration under § 11.23. Any registrant making such an indication is not subject to any filing requirement if the statement is true. The registrant need not file a termination report. A registrant not making such an indication on a registration statement is subject to a filing requirement. The indication may be revoked and the registrant is then subject to a filing requirement as of the date of revocation, or the date that aggregate contributions, disbursements or obligations for the calendar year exceed $1,000, or the date on which the registrant accepts any contribution or contributions exceeding $100 from a single source, or exceeding $750 from a single source for a group or individual subject to registration under § 11.23, other than contributions made by a candidate to his or her own campaign, during that year, whichever is earlier. If the revocation is not timely, the registrant violates § 11.27 (1).

11.05(3)(p)

(p) In the case of a support committee, a statement signed by the individual on whose behalf the committee intends to operate affirming that the committee is the only committee authorized to operate on his or her behalf, unless the committee files a statement under § 11.06 (7).

11.05(3m)

(3m) Vacancies in nomination. Any personal campaign committee of an independent candidate for partisan office or a candidate for nonpartisan county or municipal office may file with its registration statement a list of the members of the committee, in addition to those specified in sub. (e) and (f), who shall be recognized by the official or agency with whom the candidate’s nomination papers are filed for the purpose of filling a vacancy in nomination in the event of the candidate’s death. The board shall provide a place on the statement for such designations.

11.05(4)

(4) Referendum registration. Every committee under this chapter which in addition operates as a political group must register under this section as a group. Every group which in addition operates as a political committee must register under this section as a committee. Except in the case of a personal campaign committee, an organization which operates as both a committee and a group and which has the same filing officer for both operations may file a single registration statement under this section.

11.05(5)

(5) Change of information. Any change in information previously submitted in a statement of registration shall be reported by the registrant to the appropriate filing officer within 10 days following the change. This period does not apply in case of change of an indication made under sub. (2r), which shall be reported no later than the date that a registrant is subject to a filing requirement under sub. (2r). Any such change may be reported only by the individual or by the officer who has succeeded to the position of an individual who signed the original statement; but in the case of a personal campaign committee, a candidate or campaign treasurer may report a change in the statement except as provided in § 11.10 (2), and in the case of any other committee or group, the chief executive officer or treasurer indicated on the statement may report a change. If a preexisting support committee is adopted by a candidate as his or her personal campaign committee, the candidate shall file an amendment to the committee’s statement under this subsection indicating that all information contained in the statement is true, correct and complete.

11.05(5m)

(5m) Certification. Every statement and every change made in a statement filed under this section shall contain a certification signed by the individual filing the statement that all information contained in the statement is true, correct and complete.

11.05(6)

(6) Contribution or disbursement prohibited. Except as provided in subs. (7) and (13), no person, committee or group subject to a registration requirement may make any contribution or disbursement from property or funds received prior to the date of registration under this section.

11.05(7)

(7) Change in status of new registrant. Notwithstanding sub. (6), any individual or organization who or which has received property or funds which were not intended for political purposes in connection with an election for state or local office at the time of receipt may make contributions or disbursements from such property or funds in connection with an election for state or local office if the individual or organization complies with applicable provisions of sub. (1), (2) or (2g) as soon as such intent changes. For purposes of § 11.06 (1), all property or funds which are in a registrant’s possession on the date of registration under this section shall be treated as received on the date that such intent changes so that the property or funds are to be used for political purposes in connection with an election for state or local office.

11.05(8)

(8) Certain intra-registrant transfers exempt. If an organization which is not organized exclusively for political purposes makes a contribution from its own property or funds to a committee or group, affiliated with the organization, which is organized exclusively for political purposes, and the contributing organization receives no contribution from a single source in excess of $20 in the aggregate during any calendar year, and it makes no contributions or disbursements and incurs no obligations other than to make the transactions specified in this subsection, then no registration requirement applies to the contributing organization.

11.05(9)(a)

(a) For purposes of this chapter, every individual who and every committee or group which deposits a contribution in an account at a financial institution as defined in § 705.01 (3) is considered to receive and accept the contribution.

11.05(9)(b)

(b) An individual who or a committee or group which receives a contribution of money and transfers the contribution to another individual, committee or group while acting as a conduit is not subject to registration under this section unless the individual, committee or group transfers the contribution to a candidate or a personal campaign, legislative campaign, political party or support committee.

11.05(10)

(10) Certain activity by spouses exempt. For purposes of compliance with the registration requirements of this section a husband and wife acting jointly for political purposes shall be considered an “individual” rather than a “committee”.

11.05(11)

(11) Exemption for indirect political activity. If any individual makes only those disbursements and incurs only those obligations which are exempted from reporting under § 11.06 (2), or if any committee or group makes no contributions, and makes only those disbursements and incurs only those obligations which are exempted from reporting under § 11.06 (2), then no registration requirement under this section applies to that individual, committee or group.

11.05(12)(a)

(a) Except as authorized under sub. (13), a candidate shall comply with sub. (2g) no later than the time that he or she becomes a candidate as defined in § 11.01. Except as authorized in sub. (13), no candidate or agent of a candidate may accept any contribution or contributions at any time when the candidate is not registered under this section.

11.05(12)(b)

(b) Except as authorized under sub. (13), a committee, group or individual that becomes subject to a registration requirement under sub. (1) or (2), other than a candidate or agent of a candidate, shall comply with sub. (1) or (2) no later than the 5th business day commencing after receipt of the first contribution by the committee, group or individual exceeding the amount specified under sub. (1) or (2) or § 11.23 (1), and before making any disbursement exceeding that amount. No committee or individual supporting or opposing the election or nomination of a candidate at an election, other than a candidate or agent of a candidate, may accept any contribution or contributions exceeding $25, and no group or individual subject to registration under § 11.23 may accept any contribution or contributions exceeding $750, in the aggregate during a calendar year at any time when the committee, group or individual is not registered under this section except within the initial 5-day period authorized by this paragraph.

11.05(13)

(13) Bank account and postal box; exemption. An individual, committee or group does not violate this section by accepting a contribution and making a disbursement in the amount required to rent a postal box, or in the minimum amount required by a bank or trust company to open a checking account, prior to the time of registration, if the disbursement is properly reported on the first report submitted under § 11.20 after the date that the individual, committee or group is registered, whenever a reporting requirement applies to the registrant.