Seattle Elections Code Administrative Rules

A. Committee Cannot Encourage Others to Make Independent Expenditures. If a candidate or a political committee advises, counsels or otherwise knowingly encourages any person to make an expenditure which, if made by the candidate or committee would be regulated by SMC 2.04, for the purpose of avoiding direct contributions or for any other reason, the person making such expenditure shall be considered an agent of the candidate or political committee encouraging the expenditure and the expenditure shall be considered an expenditure of such candidate or political committee.

B. Expenditures made in concert, collaboration, coordination, consultation or cooperation. Expenditures made by any person in concert, collaboration, coordination, consultation or cooperation with, or at the request, or suggestion of a candidate, his or her political committee, or their agents shall be considered to be an in-kind contribution to, and an in-kind expenditure by, the candidate.

C. Use of Committee's Political Advertising. It is not an independent expenditure to finance or carry out the dissemination, distribution, or publication, in whole or in part, of broadcast, written, graphic, or other form of political advertising prepared by a candidate, a political committee, or the authorized agent of a candidate or political committee. Such activity is a contribution to the candidate or political committee.

D. No Independent Acts with Inside Knowledge. No person with material inside knowledge regarding a campaign, including paid consultants and unpaid volunteers, may make independent expenditures that benefit that campaign.