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Corporations andLabor Organizations
January 2007
   F  e    d  e   r   a    l   E    l  e   c   t   i   o   n   C   o   m   m   i   s   s   i   o   n   C   a   m   p   a   i   g   n   G  u   i    d  e
 
Introduction
Using This Guide
The rules and procedures explaned n ths gudeapply to labor organzatons and to all types o cor-poratons, ncludng:Incorporated busnesses;Incorporated membershp organzatons (n-cludng trade assocatons);Natonal banks;Corporatons wthout captal stock; andIncorporated cooperatves.
Citations
Authortes prmarly cted n ths Gude ncludeFEC regulatons and advsory opnons (AOs).All regulatory ctatons are to Ttle 11 o the Codeo Federal Regulatons, Parts 100–116 and 9001– 9039 (2001). Copes o AOs may be obtaned romthe FEC; n addton, each AO s summarzed n theCommsson’s monthly newsletter, the
Record 
. AOsare also reported n the Federal Electon CampagnFnancng Gude, publshed by Commerce ClearngHouse, Inc.
Italicized Words
Terms prnted n talcs n ths Gude have speccdentons under the electon law. Dentons o these terms can be ound n Appendx G.
Getting More Help
Advisory Opinions
Any person or group requrng a clarcaton o theelecton law wth regard to an actvty that they planto undertake may request an AO rom the FEC.Indvduals and organzatons nvolved n the actv-ty speccally addressed n an AO (or n an actvtythat s materally ndstngushable) may rely on theopnon or legal gudance. AO requests may be ad-dressed to the Oce o General Counsel at:Federal Electon Commsson999 E Street, NWWashngton, DC 20463.•••••
About this Guide
Ths
Guide
replaces the June 2001 edton o the
Campaign Guide or Corporations and Labor Organiza-tions
. It summarzes the ederal campagn nancelaws applcable to corporatons, labor organzatonsand ther separate segregated unds as o January2007. For updated normaton, please consult themonthy
Record 
supplements to ths
Guide
at www.ec.gov/no/publcatons.shtml#gudes.
Federal Election Commission
Washngton, DC 20463Commssoners:Robert D. Lenhard, CharmanDavd M. Mason, Vce CharmanMchael E. TonerHans A. von SpakovskySteven T. WaltherEllen L. WentraubSta Drector:Patrna M. Clark Actng General Counsel:Thomasena P. DuncanPrepared by the Inormaton DvsonDrector:Greg J. ScottWrter:Gary A. MullenLayout and Desgn: James Landon Jones
Cover: Mchael Lantz, Man Controllng Trade, 1942.photo by James Landon Jones
 

Toll-Free Line
Many questons about ederal campagn nancelaw do not requre ormal advsory opnons. Suchquestons may be addressed to traned FEC sta members by callng the FEC’s 800 number, below.Persons n the Washngton, DC, area may call locally.The numbers are:800/424-9530202/694-1100202/219-3336 (TDD)Hearng-mpared persons may reverse the chargeswhen callng long-dstance on the TDD number.
Free Publications
In addton to ths Gude, the FEC publshes a sereso brochures and other publcatons on severalaspects o campagn nancng and the electon law.Subscrptons to the Commsson’s newsletter, the
Record 
, are avalable ree o charge. Wrte or call theFEC or a lst o publcatons currently avalable.
FEC Web Site
Flng orms and other normatonal materals, suchas advsory opnons and recent changes n FECregulatons are also avalable on the FEC web ste(www.ec.gov).
Compliance with Small Business RegulatoryEnorcement Fairness Act o 1996
Ths gude serves as the small entty complancegude or corporatons and labor organzatons, asrequred by secton 212 o the Small Busness Regu-latory Enorcement Farness Act o 1996, Pub. L. No.104-121, Ttle II, 110 Stat. 857 (1996).
The Law
The
Federal Election Campaign Act
(the Act)
 
prohbtscorporatons and labor organzatons rom usngther general treasury unds to make contrbutonsor expendtures n connecton wth ederal elec-tons. 2 U.S.C. §441b(a). In spte o ths broad proh-bton, there are many ways n whch a corporatonor unon may legally partcpate n ederal electonactvtes.The Federal Electon Commsson (FEC)—theagency that admnsters and enorces the Act—hasprepared ths Campagn Gude to help corporatonsand labor organzatons pursue ederal campagnactvtes wthn the lmts o the law.
The SSF
Whle corporatons and labor organzatons areprohbted rom makng contrbutons or expend-tures n connecton wth ederal electons, the
Act
and Commsson regulatons permt them to set uppoltcal commttees, whch may make contrbutonsto and expendtures on behal o ederal canddatesand other commttees.Federal electon law reers to a corporate orlabor poltcal commttee as a “separate segregatedund” (SSF), though t s more commonly called a“poltcal acton commttee” or PAC. (Unless oth-erwse ndcated, the terms “SSF,” and “the commt-tee” are used nterchangeably n ths Gude.)As the name mples, money contrbuted to aseparate segregated und s held n a separate bank account rom the general corporate or unon trea-sury.
The Connected Organization
A corporaton or unon that sponsors an SSF scalled the connected organzaton. The connectedorganzaton may use ts general treasury unds topay or the costs o operatng and rasng money orthe SSF.The connected organzaton may also exercsecontrol over ts commttee. 114.5(d). Corporatonsand unons oten adopt bylaws to govern ther SSFs,though bylaws are not requred under the law anddo not have to be led wth the FEC except whenrequested.
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