Solicitation of political contributions
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) It shall be unlawful for—
(1) a candidate for the Congress;
(2) an individual elected to or serving in the office of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
(3) an officer or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof; or
(4) a person receiving any salary or compensation for services from money derived from the Treasury of the United States; to knowingly solicit any contribution within the meaning of section 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 from any other such officer, employee, or person. Any person who violates this section shall be or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to any activity of an employee (as defined in section 7322(1) of title 5) or any individual employed in or under the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, unless that activity is prohibited by section 7323 or 7324 of such title.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 722 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 96–187, title II, §201(a)(3), Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1367 (PDF, 5.3 MB); Pub. L. 103–94, §4(a), Oct. 6, 1993, 107 Stat. 1004 (PDF, 1.8 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB); Pub. L. 109–435, title VI, §604(f), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3242.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime for members of Congress, congressional candidates, federal employees, or others paid from the U.S. Treasury to knowingly ask other federal workers or Treasury-paid people for political contributions.