163-278.316. Limitations on legal expense donations.

(a) No entity shall make, and no treasurer shall accept, any monetary legal expense donation in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) unless such legal expense donation is in the form of a check, draft, money order, credit card charge, debit, or other noncash method that can be subject to written verification. No legal expense donation in the form of check, draft, money order, credit card charge, debit, or other noncash method may be made or accepted unless it contains a specific designation of the intended donee chosen by the donor.

(b) The State Board of Elections may adopt rules as to the reporting and verification of any method of legal expense donation payment allowed under this Article. For legal expense donations by money order, the State Board shall adopt rules to ensure an audit trail for every legal expense donation so that the identity of the donor can be determined.

(c) For any legal expense donation made by credit card, the credit card account number of a donor is not a public record.

(d) No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from a corporation, labor union, insurance company, professional association, or business entity in excess of four thousand dollars ($4,000) per calendar year. No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from a corporation which when totaled with legal expense donations to the same legal expense fund for the same calendar year from any affiliated corporation exceed the per calendar year legal expense donation limits for that legal expense fund. No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from a labor union which when totaled with legal expense donations to the same legal expense fund for the same calendar year from any affiliated labor union exceed the per calendar year legal expense donation limits for that legal expense fund. No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from an insurance company which when totaled with legal expense donations to the same legal expense fund for the same calendar year from any affiliated insurance company exceed the per calendar year legal expense donation limits for that legal expense fund. No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from a professional association which when totaled with legal expense donations to the same legal expense fund for the same calendar year from any affiliated professional association exceed the per calendar year legal expense donation limits for that legal expense fund. No legal expense fund shall accept legal expense donations from a business entity which when totaled with legal expense donations to the same legal expense fund for the same calendar year from any affiliated business entity exceed the per calendar year legal expense donation limits for that legal expense fund. The definitions of corporation, labor union, insurance company, professional association, and business entity are the same as those in G.S. 163-278.6. This subsection does not apply to political committees created pursuant to G.S. 163-278.19(d), except that no legal expense fund shall accept a legal expense donation which would be a violation of G.S. 163-278.13B if accepted by a candidate or political committee. This subsection does not apply to corporations permitted to make contributions in G.S. 163-278.19(h).

(e) No entity shall make a legal expense donation to a legal expense fund that the legal expense fund could not accept under subsection (d) of this section.