Cite as: 26 CNCA § 43

A. Contributors Limited to Individual Natural Persons. Contributions may only be made by individual natural persons. No corporation, partnership, and/or any other legal entity shall contribute to any Cherokee Nation campaign or Candidate.

B. Contribution Amount Limits. No natural person shall contribute more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in cash or In-Kind to any one Candidate during an election period. Personal funds of a Candidate expended for their campaign purposes are not subject to a five thousand dollar ($5,000.00) limit but shall be included in the expense report of the Candidate.

C. Contributions on Behalf of Another; Contributions in Name of Minor: Reimbursements. No person shall knowingly make or authorize a campaign contribution or political expenditure in the name of or on behalf of another person. No contributions shall be made in the name of a minor. No person shall directly or indirectly reimburse another for a contribution to a Candidate; provided that a Candidate who provides a loan of personal funds to his or her campaign may repay him or herself from later raised campaign funds and shall be reflected in the financial report of the Candidate. Such personal loan repayment shall not exceed an amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per election period.

D. Prohibition Against Intimidation. No Candidate, person, corporation or other legal entity shall use or threaten to use physical force, job discrimination, employment reprisal, employment reward, or financial reprisal to obtain money or any other thing of value for the purpose of influencing the result of an election or to assist an office holder.

E. Every person shall provide their name, address, and occupation with every contribution made to a Candidate. The Candidate or his or her Financial Agent shall forward this information to the Election Commission.

F. Attorney's Fees Excluded. Legal services provided to a Campaign by a natural person shall not be considered an In-Kind Contribution if:

1. Such natural person is a licensed member of the Cherokee Nation Bar Association; and

2. Such services are provided only for the purpose of ensuring the Campaign's compliance with the laws of the Cherokee Nation, and/or representation of a Campaign or Candidate in proceedings before the Cherokee Nation Election Commission or Courts of the Cherokee Nation.

Historical Data

LA 06–10, eff. February 23, 2010. Amended LA 46–12, eff. December 17, 2012; LA 04–14, eff. February 19, 2014; LA 12–16, eff. May 18, 2016. Amended LA 22-20, eff. October 13, 2020. Amended LA 14-22, eff. May 16, 2022.