Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title VIII Chapter 55
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 55, § 13 (2026)

Solicitation or receipt of political campaign contributions by appointive public officers or employees prohibited; exception; penalties

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 13. No person employed for compensation, other than an elected officer, by the commonwealth or any county, city or town shall directly or indirectly solicit or receive any gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value for the political campaign purposes of any candidate for public office or of any political committee, or for any political purpose whatever, but this section shall not prevent such persons from being members of political organizations or committees. A person so employed may not serve as the treasurer of a political committee. The soliciting or receiving of any gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value by a non-elected political committee organized to promote the candidacy for public office of a person so employed for compensation by the commonwealth or any county, city or town, shall not be deemed to be a direct or indirect solicitation or receipt of such contribution by such person; provided, however, that no such gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value may be solicited or received on behalf of such a person from any person or combination of persons if such person so employed knows or has reason to know that the person or combination of persons has an interest in any particular matter in which the person so employed participates or has participated in the course of such employment or which is the subject of his official responsibility.

Any appointed officer or employee convicted of violating any provision of this section may be removed by the appointing authority without a hearing.

Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 1975–2002 · leading case: Massachusetts Prisoners Ass'n Political Action Comm. v. Acting Governor, 435 Mass. 811 (Mass. 2002).
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Massachusetts Prisoners Ass'n Political Action Comm. v. Acting Governor, 435 Mass. 811 (Mass. 2002). “See G. L. c. 55, §§ 13, 15, 16. What is prohibited in § 14 is political fund raising by anyone in specific locations, i.”
Commonwealth v. Griffin, 535 N.E.2d 594 (Mass. 1989). “2 The grand jury indicted Griffin on two charges: (1) that he directly or indirectly solicited contributions for the mayor’s re-election campaign, which public employees are forbidden to do by G. L. c. 55, § 13; and (2) that he violated G.”
In the Matter of Larkin, 333 N.E.2d 199 (Mass. 1975). “Designated counsel asserted that the attempted gift was a violation of G. L. c. 55, § 13, as amended through St.”
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