Candidates and officeholders are limited in how much political money they can use to reimburse personal funds or repay certain related-party loans.
Sec. 253.042. RESTRICTIONS ON REIMBURSEMENT OF PERSONAL FUNDS AND PAYMENTS ON CERTAIN LOANS. (a) A candidate or officeholder who makes political expenditures from the candidate's or officeholder's personal funds may not reimburse those personal funds from political contributions in amounts that in the aggregate exceed the following amounts for each election in which the person's name appears on the ballot: (1) for a statewide office other than governor, $250,000; and (2) for governor, $500,000. (b) A candidate or officeholder who accepts one or more political contributions in the form of loans, including an extension of credit or a guarantee of a loan or extension of credit, from one or more persons related to the candidate or officeholder within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity may not use political contributions to repay the loans in amounts that in the aggregate exceed the amount prescribed by Subsection (a). (c) The total amount of both reimbursements and repayments made by a candidate or officeholder under this section may not exceed the amount prescribed by Subsection (a). (d) A person who is both a candidate and an officeholder covered by Subsection (a) may reimburse the person's personal funds or repay loans from political contributions only in one capacity. (e) This section does not prohibit the payment of interest on loans covered by this section at a commercially reasonable rate, except that interest on loans from a candidate's or officeholder's personal funds or on loans from the personal funds of any person related to the candidate or officeholder within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity is included in the amount prescribed by Subsection (a), (b), or (c). (f) A person who violates this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. (g) The commission shall study possible restrictions on amounts of reimbursements under Subsection (a) in connection with the offices of state senator and state representative and shall make appropriate recommendations to the legislature on those matters. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 304, Sec. 5.07, eff. Jan. 1, 1992. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 242, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.