A person who knowingly and willfully violates covered campaign-finance provisions is subject to a civil penalty for each violation, subject to the section’s exception and penalty caps.
§1505.5. Civil penalties; violations of Chapter A. Except as provided in R.S. 18:1505.4, any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of R.S. 18:1505.2 or 1505.3 or any other provision of this Chapter shall be assessed a civil penalty for each violation. "Knowingly and willfully", for purposes of this Subsection, means conduct which could have been avoided through the exercise of due diligence. B. The amount of such penalty shall be: (1) Not in excess of five hundred dollars for each candidate for a major office and any treasurer or chairman of any committee designated as a principal campaign committee or subsidiary committee of such a candidate. (2) Not in excess of three hundred dollars for any candidate for district office and any treasurer or chairman of any committee designated as a principal campaign committee or subsidiary committee of such a candidate. (3) Not in excess of one hundred dollars for any candidate for all other offices and any treasurer or chairman of any committee designated as a principal campaign committee or subsidiary committee of such a candidate. (4) Not in excess of one hundred dollars for any person or any treasurer or chairman of any committee, not supporting or opposing a candidate, but only supporting or opposing any proposition or question submitted to the voters or the recall of a public officer. (5) Not in excess of one thousand dollars for the treasurer or chairman of any committee supporting or opposing a candidate, other than a candidate's principal or subsidiary campaign committee. C.(1)(a) If a person, other than a political committee or independent expenditure-only committee, required to file is supporting or opposing a candidate or candidates, the penalty applicable to such candidate or candidates as provided in Paragraph (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this Section shall apply. (b) If a person, other than a committee, required to file is supporting or opposing candidates with different penalty levels, the penalty shall be the highest penalty for any such candidates. (2) Each day of violation, if applicable, shall constitute a separate offense. Maximum civil penalties imposed under this Section shall be as provided in R.S. 18:1505.4(A). Acts 1980, No. 786, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 266, §1, eff. July 18, 1982; Acts 1995, No. 1046, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 352, §1; Acts 2025, No. 398, §1, eff. June 20, 2025.