| 조치 요약 |
Pursuant to Acts of Assembly Chapter 535, the Board of Elections has been directed to promulgate regulations enacting the newly created sections §§ 24.2-948.6 and 24.2-948.8 of the Code of Virginia which prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal use and establish a procedure for requesting advisory opinions related to uses of campaign funds from the State Board of Elections, respectively. The fourth enacting clause further specifies that the regulations promulgated should be “substantially similar” the existing federal regulations on the personal use of campaign funds and the availability of advisory opinions. The proposed regulations depart from their federal counterparts to account for preexisting differences between federal and Virginia law, such as existing provisions on vehicle and travel reimbursements, the likelihood of candidates and officeholders having outside income due to Virginia’s part-time legislature, and other differences between the relevant federal and Virginia statutes. Overall, the regulations seek to clarify permissible and impermissible uses of campaign funds to ensure that campaign funds are used to further the goals of democracy—integrity, informed decision-making, and public participation—while combating avenues for corruption and fraudulent self-enrichment. While it is commonly agreed that the use of campaign funds for personal use is antithetical to these democratic values, these regulations are necessary for clarifying the boundaries and providing the legal framework for enforcement. |
