ECIElection Campaign-Finance Index

No matching sections in corpus.

Iowa Code § 68A.404 comprehensively codifies independent-expenditure rules in statute, defining the term, establishing authorization requirements for non-individual persons (§2.a-b), prohibiting foreign nationals from making independent expenditures (§2.c), exempting certain entities (§2.d), mandating filing within 48 hours (§4.a), specifying detailed disclosure content (§5.a-h), requiring attribution (§6), and imposing consultant restrictions (§7). The framework is explicit, enumerated, and statutorily grounded rather than delegated to administrative discretion.

No matching sections in corpus.

The statute explicitly defines disclosure thresholds in statutory text for all categories of committees and candidates ($25 for most categories, $200 for state statutory political committees, $50 for county statutory political committees). The thresholds are enumerated exhaustively by candidate/committee type with specific dollar amounts codified directly in the statute. No administrative discretion or regulation is required to determine when disclosure is triggered.

No matching sections in corpus.

Iowa Code § 68A.401A(2)(b) explicitly requires disclosure of contributor name, address, occupation, and employer for all contributors whose aggregate contributions equal or exceed $200 in the calendar year. This provision is statutorily grounded and enumerates the exact identity fields required, satisfying the full procedural requirements for contributor-identity disclosure at the highest level.

This section establishes a statutory requirement for public access to filings within a defined time (end of business day), but it specifies only physical inspection during office hours—not online accessibility. The criterion requires legal mandate for online public access, which this section does not explicitly establish. The statute ensures in-person access clarity but lacks the digital-access component that modern disclosure standards require.

The statute creates a violation and directs readers to other sections (68A.701 and 68B.32D) for penalties, but does not codify the penalty amounts or grades within § 68A.506 itself. This is a cross-reference to statutory penalties rather than enumeration of the penalty schedule in the operative section. The criterion requires penalties to be 'defined in statute'—which they may be in the referenced sections—but procedural clarity is weakened when the consequences are not stated alongside the substantive prohibition.

“A person who violates this section is subject to sections 68A.701 and 68B.32D.”

The statute establishes the board as an independent agency (not subordinate to executive branch) with six members appointed by the governor but subject to senate confirmation, and explicitly requires political-affiliation balance. This multi-branch appointment (executive + legislative) and balanced composition insulate the body from in-cycle partisan control and satisfy the independence criterion.

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: §68B.32 establishes the ethics and campaign disclosure board and its enforcement authority, but does not create or reference a private right of action for citizens or parties to sue for campaign-finance violations. The section delegates enforcement to the board itself (investigation and standards-setting), but contains no language permitting private litigation, standing for private parties, or citizen suits—hallmarks of a private right of action.

Iowa Code § 68A.404(2)(c) explicitly prohibits foreign nationals from making independent expenditures on candidates or ballot issues, with a detailed statutory definition of 'foreign national' that covers foreign governments, political parties, and foreign entities, while carving out U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The prohibition is direct, unambiguous, and statutorily grounded without delegation to administrative discretion.

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: This section addresses promises of political position in exchange for campaign support—a quid pro quo corruption provision entirely unrelated to foreign-source funding or indirect pass-through channels. It contains no reference to foreign nationals, foreign entities, corporate-ownership structures, or any mechanism for tracing foreign sources of campaign funds or in-kind support.

Section 68A.201A imposes disclosure and registration requirements on out-of-state committees but does not establish a procedure requiring campaign committees to affirmatively verify that contributors are not foreign-source. The verified statement requirement in subsection 4 attests to compliance with section 68A.503 (which likely contains the foreign-source prohibition), but the statute does not mandate specific verification procedures—it relies on the submitting committee's attestation. The section addresses foreign-source compliance through attestation rather than independent verification by the receiving committee.

The statute explicitly requires treasurers and candidates/chairpersons to preserve all records (contributions, expenditures, contributor identity, disbursement details) for a defined period of five years (or three years post-dissolution), establishing a clear statutory basis for record retention without reliance on administrative discretion.

No matching sections in corpus.