Personal use expenditure -- Authorized and prohibited uses of campaign funds -- Enforcement -- Penalties.

Utah Code § 20A-11-104

in effect

20A-11-104. Personal use expenditure -- Authorized and prohibited uses of campaign funds -- Enforcement -- Penalties. (1) (a) As used in this chapter, "personal use expenditure" means an expenditure that: (i) (A) is not excluded from the definition of personal use expenditure by Subsection (2); and (B) primarily furthers a personal interest of a candidate or officeholder or a candidate's or officeholder's family, which interest is not connected with the performance of an activity as a candidate or an activity or duty of an officeholder; or (ii) would likely cause the candidate or officeholder to recognize the expenditure as taxable income under federal or state law. (b) "Personal use expenditure" includes: (i) a mortgage, rent, utility, or vehicle payment; (ii) a household food item or supply; (iii) a clothing expense, except: (A) clothing bearing the candidate's name or campaign slogan or logo that is used in the candidate's campaign; (B) clothing bearing the logo or name of a jurisdiction, district, government organization, government entity, caucus, or political party that the officeholder represents or of which the officeholder is a member; or (C) repair or replacement of clothing that is damaged while the candidate or officeholder is engaged in an activity of a candidate or officeholder; (iv) an admission to a sporting, artistic, or recreational event or other form of entertainment; (v) dues, fees, or gratuities at a country club, health club, or recreational facility; (vi) a salary payment made to: (A) a candidate or officeholder; or (B) a person who has not provided a bona fide service to a candidate or officeholder; (vii) a vacation; (viii) a vehicle expense; (ix) a meal expense; (x) a travel expense; (xi) a payment of an administrative, civil, or criminal penalty; (xii) a satisfaction of a personal debt; (xiii) a personal service, including the service of an attorney, accountant, physician, or other professional person; (xiv) a membership fee for a professional or service organization; and (xv) a payment in excess of the fair market value of the item or service purchased. (2) As used in this chapter, "personal use expenditure" does not include an expenditure made: (a) for a political purpose; (b) for candidacy for public office; (c) to fulfill a duty or activity of an officeholder; (d) for a donation to a registered political party; (e) for a contribution to another candidate's campaign account, including sponsorship of or attendance at an event, the primary purpose of which is to solicit a contribution for another candidate's campaign account; (f) to return all or a portion of a contribution to a contributor; (g) for the following items, if made in connection with the candidacy for public office or an activity or duty of an officeholder: (i) (A) a mileage allowance at the rate established by the Division of Finance under Section 63A-3-107; or (B) for motor fuel or special fuel, as defined in Section 59-13-102; (ii) a food expense, including food or beverages: (A) served at a campaign event; (B) served at a charitable event; (C) consumed, or provided to others, by a candidate while the candidate is engaged in campaigning; (D) consumed, or provided to others, by an officeholder while the officeholder is acting in the capacity of an officeholder; or (E) provided as a gift to an individual who works on a candidate's campaign or who assists an officeholder in the officeholder's capacity as an officeholder; (iii) a travel expense of a candidate, if the primary purpose of the travel is related to the candidate's campaign, including airfare, car rental, other transportation, hotel, or other expenses incidental to the travel; (iv) a travel expense of an individual assisting a candidate, if the primary purpose of the travel by the individual is to assist the candidate with the candidate's campaign, including an expense described in Subsection (2)(g)(iii); (v) a travel expense of an officeholder, if the primary purpose of the travel is related to an activity or duty of the officeholder, including an expense described in Subsection (2)(g)(iii); (vi) a travel expense of an individual assisting an officeholder, if the primary purpose of the travel by the individual is to assist the officeholder in an activity or duty of an officeholder, including an expense described in Subsection (2)(g)(iii); (vii) a payment for a service provided by an attorney or accountant; (viii) a tuition payment or registration fee for participation in a meeting or conference; (ix) a gift; (x) a payment for the following items in connection with an office space: (A) rent; (B) utilities; (C) a supply; or (D) furnishing; (xi) a booth at a meeting or event; (xii) educational material; or (xiii) an item purchased for a purpose related to a campaign or to an activity or duty of an officeholder; (h) to purchase or mail informational material, a survey, or a greeting card; (i) for a donation to a charitable organization, as defined by Section 13-22-101, including admission to or sponsorship of an event, the primary purpose of which is charitable solicitation, as defined in Section 13-22-101; (j) to repay a loan a candidate makes from the candidate's personal account to the candidate's campaign account; (k) to pay membership dues to a national organization whose primary purpose is to address general public policy; (l) for admission to or sponsorship of an event, the primary purpose of which is to promote the social, educational, or economic well-being of the state or the candidate's or officeholder's community; (m) for one or more guests of an officeholder or candidate to attend an event, meeting, or conference described in this Subsection (2), including related travel expenses and other expenses, if attendance by the guest is for a primary purpose described in Subsection (2)(g)(iv) or (vi); (n) to pay childcare expenses of: (i) a candidate while the candidate is engaging in campaign activity; or (ii) an officeholder while the officeholder is engaging in the duties of an officeholder; or (o) by a candidate or officeholder to purchase reasonably necessary goods, other than weapons, or services, for the purpose of protecting the security of the candidate or officeholder, the candidate's or officeholder's family, or the candidate's or officeholder's staff, which may include: (i) a security system for use at the candidate's or officeholder's home, place of business, or campaign office; or (ii) security services while the candidate or officeholder is traveling to or from, or attending: (A) a campaign event; or (B) for an officeholder, an event relating to an activity or duty of the officeholder. (3) (a) The lieutenant governor shall enforce this chapter prohibiting a personal use expenditure by: (i) evaluating a financial statement to identify a personal use expenditure; and (ii) commencing an informal adjudicative proceeding in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 4, Administrative Procedures Act, if the lieutenant governor has probable cause to believe a candidate or officeholder has made a personal use expenditure. (b) Following the proceeding, the lieutenant governor may issue a signed order requiring a candidate or officeholder who has made a personal use expenditure to: (i) remit an administrative penalty of an amount equal to 50% of the personal use expenditure to the lieutenant governor; and (ii) deposit the amount of the personal use expenditure in the campaign account from which the personal use expenditure was disbursed. (c) The lieutenant governor shall deposit money received under Subsection (3)(b)(i) into the General Fund. Amended by Chapter 95, 2026 General Session

Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter11/20A-11-S104.html?v=C20A-11-S104_2026050620260506Fetched: 10/26/2026