9. Matching funds. When any campaign, finance or election report shows that the sum of a candidate's expenditures or obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever is greater, alone or in conjunction with independent electioneering expenditures reported under section 1019, exceeds the distribution amount under subsection 8, the commission shall issue immediately to any opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional amount equivalent to the reported excess. Matching funds are limited to 2 times the amount originally distributed under subsection 8, paragraph A or C, whichever is applicable.

SUMMARY

This bill standardizes campaign finance reporting requirements by putting political action committees, party committees and disclosure of independent electioneering expenditures on the same reporting schedule. Persons making independent electioneering expenditures in races involving a Maine Clean Election Act candidate are required to file additional reports on the same schedule as accelerated reports by candidates.