(a) Qualified campaign expense means any expenditure, including a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value—
(1) Incurred to further a candidate's campaign for election to the office of President or Vice President of the United States;
(2) Incurred within the expenditure report period, as defined under 11 CFR 9002.12, or incurred before the beginning of such period in accordance with 11 CFR 9003.4 to the extent such expenditure is for property, services or facilities to be used during such period; and
(3) Neither the incurrence nor the payment of such expenditure constitutes a violation of any law of the United States, any law of the State in which such expense is incurred or paid, or any regulation prescribed under such Federal or State law, except that any State law which has been pre-empted by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, shall not be considered a State law for purposes of this subchapter. An expenditure which constitutes such a violation shall nevertheless count against the candidate's expenditure limitation if the expenditure meets the conditions set forth at 11 CFR 9002.11(a) (1) and (2).
(b)(1) An expenditure is made to further a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate's campaign if it is incurred by or on behalf of such candidate or his or her authorized committee. For purposes of 11 CFR 9002.11(b)(1), any expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a Presidential candidate of a political party will also be considered an expenditure to further the campaign of the Vice Presidential candidate of that party. Any expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the Vice Presidential candidate will also be considered an expenditure to further the campaign of the Presidential candidate of that party.
(2) An expenditure is made on behalf of a candidate if it is made by—
(i) Any authorized committee or any other agent of the candidate for the purpose of making an expenditure; or
(ii) Any person authorized or requested by the candidate, by the candidate's authorized committee(s), or by an agent of the candidate or his or her authorized committee(s) to make an expenditure; or
(iii) A committee which has been requested by the candidate, the candidate's authorized committee(s), or an agent thereof to make the expenditure, even though such committee is not authorized in writing.
(3) Expenditures that further the election of other candidates for any public office shall be allocated in accordance with 11 CFR 106.1(a) and will be considered qualified campaign expenses only to the extent that they specifically further the election of the candidate for President or Vice President. A candidate may make expenditures under this section in conjunction with other candidates for any public office, but each candidate shall pay his or her proportionate share of the cost in accordance with 11 CFR 106.1(a).
(4) Expenditures by a candidate's authorized committee(s) pursuant to 11 CFR 9004.6 for the travel and related ground service costs of media shall be qualified campaign expenses. Any reimbursement for travel and related services costs received by a candidate's authorized committee shall be subject to the provisions of 11 CFR 9004.6.
(5) Legal and accounting services which are provided solely to ensure compliance with 52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq. or 26 U.S.C. 9001, et seq. shall be qualified campaign expenses which may be paid from payments received from the Fund. If federal funds are used to pay for such services, the payments will count against the candidate's expenditure limitation. Payments for such services may also be made from an account established in accordance with 11 CFR 9003.3 or may be provided to the committee in accordance with 11 CFR 100.86 and 100.146. If payments for such services are made from an account established in accordance with 11 CFR 9003.3, the payments do not count against the candidate's expenditure limitation. If payments for such services are made by a minor or new party candidate from an account containing private contributions, the payments do not count against that candidate's expenditure limitation. The amount paid by the committee shall be reported in accordance with 11 CFR part 9006. Amounts paid by the regular employer of the person providing such services pursuant to 11 CFR 100.86 and 100.146 shall be reported by the recipient committee in accordance with 11 CFR 104.3(h).
(c) Except as provided in 11 CFR 9034.4(e), expenditures incurred either before the beginning of the expenditure report period or after the last day of a candidate's eligibility will be considered qualified campaign expenses if they meet the provisions of 11 CFR 9004.4(a). Expenditures described under 11 CFR 9004.4(b) will not be considered qualified campaign expenses.
