§3-12-16. Civil penalties.

(a) If a participating or certified candidate or his or her committee or financial agent unintentionally accepts contributions from a private source in violation of this article or spends or obligates to spend more than the amount of public financing money he or she is eligible to receive from the fund pursuant to section eleven of this article, the State Election Commission may order the candidate to pay to the State Election Commission an amount equal to the amount of the contribution, expenditure or obligation.

(b) If a participating or certified candidate or his or her committee or financial agent intentionally accepts contributions from a private source in violation of this article or spends or obligates more than the amount of public campaign financing he or she is eligible to receive from the fund, the State Election Commission shall order the candidate to pay to the State Election Commission an amount equal to ten times the amount of the contribution, expenditure or obligation. The candidate shall pay the civil penalty authorized under this subsection within seven days of receipt of written notice from the State Election Commission of the imposition of the penalty.

(c) If a participating or certified candidate fails to pay any moneys required to be paid to the State Election Commission or returned to the fund under this article, the State Election Commission may order the candidate to pay an amount equal to three times the amount that should have been paid to the State Election Commission or returned to the fund.

(d) In addition to any other penalties imposed by law, the State Election Commission may impose a civil penalty for a violation by or on behalf of any candidate of any reporting requirement imposed by this article in the amount of $100 a day.

(e) All penalties collected by the State Election Commission pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the fund. The candidate and the candidate's campaign account are jointly and severally responsible for the payment of any penalty imposed pursuant to this section.