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Disclaimers

A campaign communication that is paid for or authorized by your campaign must include a disclaimer that identifies your campaign. LAMC §§ 49.7.2(B), 49.7.33(A).

A communication is a campaign communication if both of the following are true:

  • It expressly advocates the election or defeat of a City candidate or ballot measure or, taken as a whole and in context, urges a particular result in a City election; and
  • It is authorized, distributed, paid for, or behested by a City candidate or committee.

A disclaimer is a statement included in the body of a political communication that identifies who is paying for or distributing the communication.

Disclaimers are required in City and LAUSD political communications when certain expenditure or distribution thresholds are met. They must meet specific font size and color requirements. Details about thresholds and other requirements are provided in our Candidate Guides.

Disclaimers must include specific statements, depending on the type of communication:

  • City campaign, officeholder, and legal defense communications

    Paid for by [committee’s name, address, and city].*

    † Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.

    * If the communication is made by a controlled committee, the name of the person controlling the committee must also be included.

    † If an acronym is used to specify a committee name, the full name of any sponsoring organization must also be included.

  • City independent expenditure communications

    If communicated by a committee:

    Paid for by [committee’s name, address, and city]. † Not authorized by or coordinated with a City candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Major funding provided by [top two contributors of at least $1,000 during the six months prior to the payment] in the amount of [cumulative amount of their contributions]. Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.

    † If an acronym is used to specify a committee name, the full name of any sponsoring organization must also be included.

    If communicated by a person other than a committee:

    Distributed by [person’s name, address, and city]. Not authorized by or coordinated with a City candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.

  • LAUSD campaign communications

    For mass paper and electronic mailings:

    Paid for by [committee’s name, address, and city].

    For mass telephone calls:

    [Paid for/Authorized] by [candidate’s name].

    The Ethics Commission recommends that disclaimers in LAUSD campaign communications also include this statement: “Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.”

  • LAUSD independent expenditure communications

    Disclaimer requirements for independent expenditure communications in LAUSD elections vary, depending on the type of committee or person who is making the communication.  Specific disclaimer statements can be found in the state’s Political Advertisement Disclaimer Charts Overview.

    The Ethics Commission recommends that disclaimers in LAUSD campaign communications also include this statement: “Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.”

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