SIE: De Minimis Exception

De Minimis Exception

The pay to play rule carves out an exception for small contributions in elections by MFPs who are entitled to vote for an elected official. MFPs are allowed to contribute up to $250 per election in which they are entitled to vote. For instance, a resident of Minnesota could make a small contribution to the governor of Minnesota for his reelection campaign. This is often referred to as the de minimis exception. Under this exception, a MFP could give up to $250 in the primary election and up to $250 in the general election because these are two separate elections. Note that this exception only applies to associated persons and not to the firms themselves.

Sample Question 1

John is a municipal finance professional and lives in a district that votes for an official that could direct business to his firm. John make