Glossary Definition:

Expenditure: An expenditure is the disbursement of money or anything of value - subject to certain specific statutory exceptions - for the election or defeat of a federal candidate. Expenditures differ from contributions in that the spender or the spender's agent, not a different person or entity, maintains control over how the money will be ultimately used.

Expenditures come in two types. An expenditure in cooperation with a candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or a political party committee is a coordinated expenditure and is treated as a contribution. An expenditure made without such cooperation is an independent expenditure. Independent expenditures are not subject to limits on the amount that may be spent, like contributions.

Statutes and/or Regulations:

Definition: 11 C.F.R. § 100.110(a); 11 C.F.R. § 114.1(a)(1)

Independent Expenditures Definition: 11 C.F.R. § 100.16; 11 C.F.R. § 100.113

Prohibited or Illegal Expenditures: 11 C.F.R. §§ 110.9(a); 110.14(c)(2); 114.2(a) and (b); 115.2

Related Forms:

FEC Form 3 - filed by House and Senate candidates' authorized campaign committees; Instructions

Post-Election Detailed Summary Page; Instructions

FEC Form 3X - filed by unauthorized committees, including PACs and party committees; Instructions

FEC Form 4 - filed by committees or organizations supporting a national nominating convention; Instructions

FEC Form 5 - filed by individuals or groups making independent expenditures; Instructions

FEC Form 7 - Report of Communication Costs by Corporations and Membership Organizations

FEC Form 10 - Filed by candidates to disclose personal expenditures that exceed certain threshold amounts; Instructions

Commentary:

"Lessons Learned from McConnell v. FEC: An Analysis by Key Participants in this Historic Supreme Court Case," the Campaign Legal Center

Reports:

Independent and Coordinated Expenditure graphs The Campaign Finance Institute

Donor profiles for independent expenditures The Center for Responsive Politics