Any person may request an advisory opinion concerning the specific application of the campaign finance law or OCPF's regulations. All advisory opinion requests must be in writing and may be submitted by e-mail, fax or mail. Advisory opinion requests should include the following:

• The requesting party's name, address and phone number;
• A description of a specific activity or transaction that has not yet occurred;
• A specific question or questions about the proposed activity or transaction; and
• Any accompanying data, views or arguments that the requesting person deems pertinent.

The Director will review all requests for Advisory Opinions. He may request that additional or more specific information or questions be submitted by the requesting person. After reviewing the request, the Director may determine that:

• A particular request for an advisory opinion poses issues which are not within his jurisdiction;
• The questions posed are not appropriate to an advisory opinion; or
• Sufficient information has not been provided by the requesting person.

In the event the Director determines that an Advisory Opinion is not warranted, he may choose to decline to issue the opinion. If the Director declines to issue an opinion, he will, within a reasonable time, notify the requesting person that the advisory opinion will not be rendered. Otherwise, an Advisory Opinion will be rendered in a timely fashion.

All advisory opinion requests and all advisory opinions shall be public records, under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, and shall be subject to public inspection as required by M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.

You may file a written request for an Advisory Opinion with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance in any of the following ways:

• Email Your Request
• fax: (617) 727-6549 or
• US Mail: Office of Campaign and Political Finance
  One Ashburton Place, Room 411
  Boston, MA 02108
  Attention: Advisory Opinion request

Individuals with information concerning possible violations of the campaign finance laws may file a request for review in writing with OCPF. The identity of the individual requesting the review is kept confidential and is not revealed to the subject of the review, the public or any other party at any time. OCPF does not comment on any matter that is under review or investigation. In fact, the office also does not confirm or deny the receipt of any requests for review or the existence of an investigation until such investigation is completed. Requests for review are accepted by:

• Email Your Request
• fax: (617) 727-6549 or
• US Mail: Office of Campaign and Political Finance
  One Ashburton Place, Room 411
  Boston, MA 02108
  Attention: Legal review request

Requests for review should include the following:

• The requesting party's contact information, if a direct response is desired;
• A description of a specific activity or transaction that has raised an issue of concern; and
• Any accompanying documentation or other data that the requesting party deems pertinent.

Reviews may be resolved in one of several ways. The most common resolution is in the form of a public resolution letter (PRL), which states OCPF's conclusions regarding a matter, such as whether a subject did not comply with the campaign finance law, whether there is no reason to believe there was a violation, or whether the office is taking no further action after its review. Such letters do not require agreement by the subject of the review and are public record.

Some requests for review are resolved by closing the matter administratively. In these instances, the review revealed no evidence to suggest any violation of the campaign finance law occurred. These reviews are often resolved informally; by a telephone call or letter to the requesting party advising the individual that there is no reason to believe, based on the information submitted, that a violation has occurred.

In matters of more significant violations, OCPF may enter into a disposition agreement with the subject of an investigation. In these agreements, the parties agree to specific facts and the subject agrees to take various corrective actions, such as additional or amended disclosure reports and payments to the Commonwealth. Finally, OCPF has the option of referring matters to the Office of the Attorney General for further action.