Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 54 Part 1.djvu/805

 54 STAT.] 76TH CONG. , 3D SESS.-CH. 640-JULY 19, 1940 modities, advertising, or articles of any kind or description where the proceeds of such a purchase, or any portion thereof, shall directly or indirectly inure to the benefit of or for any candidate for an elective Federal office (including the offices of President of the United States, and Presidential and Vice Presidential electors) or any political committee or other political organization engaged in furthering, advancing, or advocating the nomination or election of any candidate for any such office or the success of any national political party: Provided, That nothing in this sentence shall be construed to interfere with the usual and known business, trade, or profession of any candidate. "(d) Any person who engages in a pernicious political activity in violation of any provision of this section, shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years. In all cases of violations of this section by a partnership, committee, association, corporation, or other organization or group of persons, the officers, directors, or managing heads thereof who knowingly and willfully participate in such violation, shall be sub- ject to punishment as herein provided. "(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the making of any contribution which is prohibited by any provision of law in force on the date this section takes effect. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or amend any provisions of the Federal Corrupt Practices Act of 1925, or any amendments thereto. "SEC. 14 . For the purposes of this Act, persons employed in the government of the District of Columbia shall be deemed to be employed in the executive branch of the Government of the United States, except that for the purposes of the second sentence of section 9 (a) the Commissioners and the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia shall not be deemed to be officers or employees. "SEC. 15. The provisions of this Act which prohibit persons to whom such provisions apply from taking any active part in political management or in political campaigns shall be deemed to prohibit the same activities on the part of such persons as the United States Civil Service Commission has heretofore determined are at the time this section takes effect prohibited on the part of employees in the classified civil service of the United States by the provisions of the civil-service rules prohibiting such employees from taking any active part in political management or in political campaigns. "SEC. 16. Whenever the United States Civil Service Commission determines that, by reason of special or unusual circumstances which exist in any municipality or other political subdivision, in the imme- diate vicinity of the National Capital in the States of Maryland and Virginia or in municipalities the majority of whose voters are em- ployed by the Government of the United States: it is in the domestic interest of persons to whom the provisions of this Act are applicable, and who reside in such municipality or political subdivision, to permit such persons to take an active part in political management or in political campaigns involving such municipality or political subdivision, the Commission is authorized to promulgate regula- tions permitting such persons to take an active part in such political management and political campaigns to the extent the Commission deems to be in the domestic interest of such persons. "SEC. 17. Nothing in the second sentence of section 12 (a) of this Act shall be construed to prevent or prohibit any officer or employee of a State or local agency (as defined in section 12 (f)) from continu- ing, until the election in connection with which he was nominated, to be a bona fide candidate for election to any public office and from 771 Proviso. Noninterference with candidate's busi- ness, etc. Penalty. Violations by part- nerships, etc. Contributions pro- hibited by prior laws. Corrupt practices. 43 Stat. 1070. 2U.S.C.§i241- 256. District of Colum- bia employees. Exception. Taking active part in political manage- ment, etc., a ctivities prohibited. Certain residents of municipalities In Im- mediate vicinity of D. C., etc. Political activities. Regulations. Certain State, etc., nominees for public office, political activi. ties permitted.

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