California Government Code § 82025

(a) “Expenditure” means a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment, unless it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that it is not made for political purposes. “Expenditure” does not include a candidate’s use of the candidate’s own money to pay for either a filing fee for a declaration of candidacy or a candidate statement prepared pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code. An expenditure is made on the date the payment is made or on the date consideration, if any, is received, whichever is earlier. (b) A payment is made for political purposes if it is any of the following: (1) For purposes of influencing or attempting to influence the action of the voters for or against the nomination or election of a candidate or candidates, or the qualification or passage of any measure. (2) Made by any of the following: (A) A candidate, unless it is clear from surrounding circumstances that the payment was made for personal purposes unrelated to the candidate’s candidacy or status as an officeholder. (B) A controlled committee. (C) An official committee of a political party, including a state central committee, county central committee, assembly district committee, or any subcommittee of such committee. (D) An organization formed or existing primarily for political purposes, as described in paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, a political action committee established by any membership organization, labor union, or corporation. (c) “Expenditure” includes any monetary or nonmonetary payment made by any person, other than the persons or organizations described in subdivision (b), that is used for communications that expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or candidates, or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a clearly identified ballot measure. (1) “Clearly identified” is defined as follows: (A) A candidate is clearly identified if the communication states the candidate’s name, makes unambiguous reference to the candidate’s office or status as a candidate, or unambiguously describes the candidate in any manner. (B) A group of candidates is clearly identified if the communication makes unambiguous reference to some well-defined characteristic of the group, even if the communication does not name each candidate. A communication that clearly identifies a group of candidates and expressly advocates their election or defeat is reportable as an expenditure, but the expenditure need not be allocated among all members of the class or group on the campaign statement reporting the expenditure. (C) A measure that has qualified to be placed on the ballot is clearly identified if the communication states a proposition number, official title, or popular name associated with the measure. In addition, the measure is clearly identified if the communication refers to the subject matter of the measure and either states that the measure is before the people for a vote or, taken as a whole and in context, unambiguously refers to the measure. (D) A measure that has not qualified to be placed on the ballot is clearly identified if the communication refers to the subject matter of the measure and the qualification drive. (2) A communication “expressly advocates” the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a measure if it contains express words of advocacy such as “vote for,” “elect,” “support,” “cast your ballot,” “vote against,” “defeat,” “reject,” “sign petitions for,” or, within 60 days before an election in which the candidate or measure appears on the ballot, the communication otherwise refers to a clearly identified candidate or measure so that the communication, taken as a whole, unambiguously urges a particular result in an election. (A) Except for those communications paid for with public moneys by 

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