Sec. 33.13.14.03. In General

A. Establishment. A candidate for local office seeking public campaign financing shall establish an authorized candidate campaign committee with the State Board for the exclusive purpose of accepting public funds for election to a county office.

B. Qualification. Prior to engaging in campaign finance activity relating to public financing, including receiving non-public contributions in order to qualify for public funds, the candidate shall:

(1) File with the State Board a Statement of Organization establishing an authorized candidate campaign committee for the exclusive use or purpose of accepting public funds;

(2) File with the State Board a notice of intent to qualify for public funds at the time of filing the Statement of Organization; and

(3) Cease all campaign finance activity using any other authorized candidate campaign committee affiliated with the candidate from the date that the candidate files the notice of intent to the date the candidate files the final report for the candidate’s public funding campaign committee.

C. Prohibitions. A candidate who accepts public funds may not:

(1) Use any other authorized candidate campaign committee except for one established in §A of this regulation; or

(2) Be a member of a slate committee.

D. Reports. All campaign finance reports of the authorized candidate campaign committee established in §A of this regulation shall be filed at the State Board in the manner and method set forth in COMAR 33.13.03.02.

E. Expenditure Limit. An authorized candidate campaign committee of a candidate who accepts public funds may not expend, in the applicable election, any amount in excess of that permitted by law.

F. Affiliation. A candidate who accepts public funds may affiliate with any other candidate, including non-publicly financed candidates, on campaign material if:

(1) The authorized candidate campaign committee established in §A of this regulation makes a direct disbursement to the payee for its share of the costs of the campaign material; and

(2) The campaign material displays the authority line of the authorized candidate campaign committee established in §A of this regulation.

G. Inactive Committees. All authorized candidate campaign committees affiliated with the candidate, including any authorized candidate committees that have not filed a final report but are inactive during the election, shall continue to file campaign finance reports required by Election Law Article, §§13-304 and 13-309, Annotated Code of Maryland.