republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-29/section-602.md

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LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 602	Solicitation of political contributions	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	29	ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES	602	18 U.S.C. § 602	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s602	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	f7eb3a1a2540521ab1fd8d97826629f7a1a7b14ade811f3ad9d6f5e4ad8de066	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	24d3124336c6e9df2351f422cb9789be01b1d1d0aeebbd5e124a0758685148f3	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 602 - Solicitation of political contributions

Text

(a) It shall be unlawful for—

(1) a candidate for the Congress;

(2) an individual elected to or serving in the office of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;

(3) an officer or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof; or

(4) a person receiving any salary or compensation for services from money derived from the Treasury of the United States; to knowingly solicit any contribution within the meaning of section 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 from any other such officer, employee, or person. Any person who violates this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.

(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to any activity of an employee (as defined in section 7322(1) of title 5) or any individual employed in or under the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, unless that activity is prohibited by section 7323 or 7324 of such title.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 722; Pub. L. 96–187, title II, § 201(a)(3), Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1367; Pub. L. 103–94, § 4(a), Oct. 6, 1993, 107 Stat. 1004; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 109–435, title VI, § 604(f), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3242.)

Notes

Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 208, 212 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 118, 122, 35 Stat. 1110; Feb. 28, 1925, ch. 368, § 312, 43 Stat. 1073). This section consolidates sections 208 and 212 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. This section, like section 201 of this title, was expanded to embrace all officers or persons acting on behalf of any independent agencies or Government-owned or controlled corporations by inserting words “or any department or agency thereof.” (See definitive section 6 of this title.) The punishment provision was taken from section 212 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which, by reference, made the punishment applicable to the crime described in this section. Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), is classified to section 30101(8) of Title 52, Voting and Elections.

Amendments2006—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–435 substituted “Postal Regulatory Commission” for “Postal Rate Commission”. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322, which directed the amendment of this section by substituting “under this title” for “not more than $5,000”, could not be executed because the phrase “not more than $5,000” does not appear in text. See 1993 Amendment note below. 1993—Pub. L. 103–94 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “; to knowingly solicit any contribution within the meaning of section 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 from any other such officer, employee, or person. Any person who violates this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both” for “to knowingly solicit, any contribution within the meaning of section 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 from any other such officer, employee, or person. Any person who violates this section shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both” in par. (4), and added subsec. (b). 1980—Pub. L. 96–187 amended section generally to conform its terms to revision of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by title I of Pub. L. 96–187.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment; Savings ProvisionAmendment by Pub. L. 103–94 effective 120 days after Oct. 6, 1993, but not to release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under amended provision, which is to be treated as remaining in force for purpose of sustaining any proper proceeding or action for enforcement of that penalty, forfeiture, or liability, and no provision of Pub. L. 103–94 to affect any proceedings with respect to which charges were filed on or before 120 days after Oct. 6, 1993, with orders to be issued in such proceedings and appeals taken therefrom as if Pub. L. 103–94 had not been enacted, see section 12 of Pub. L. 103–94, set out as an Effective Date; Savings Provision note under section 7321 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–187 effective Jan. 8, 1980, see section 301(a) of Pub. L. 96–187, set out as a note under section 30101 of Title 52, Voting and Elections.