Any expenditure of a candidate's campaign funds that is not directly related to the candidate's election campaign is a prohibited personal use of campaign funds.  This means that campaign contributions may not be used to defray non-reimbursed public office related expenses, charitable donations, club memberships, newspaper subscriptions, constituent gifts and entertainment as well as other miscellaneous expenses that are not directly related to a candidate's campaign.  (Public officials may establish a "Surplus Funds Account" to pay for non-reimbursed public office related ex

No candidate or candidate's authorized committee is allowed to transfer campaign funds (or items or services purchased with campaign funds) to any other candidate or political committee, unless a candidate is legally transferring surplus funds to a bona fide political party or a caucus political committee.

During the 21 days before the general election, no candidate for statewide office, including State Supreme Court, may accept aggregate contributions of more than $75,000 from any contributor eligible to give that much.  Similarly, candidates for other offices may not accept contributions totaling more than $7,500 from any eligible contributor during this three-week period.  Legislative and local office candidates are restricted to receiving no more than $7,500 from a single contributor during this 3-week period.

No legislators, other state officials or their employees or agents may solicit or accept contributions for any state or local office candidate, to defray public office related expenses, or to retire a campaign debt during what is known as the "legislative session freeze period."  The freeze period is in effect during the regular legislative session, the 30 days before the regular session and during any special session of the legislature.  RCW 42.17A.560. 

Contributions from the candidate's personal funds or from a bona fide political party or caucus political committee may be spent at any time in the election cycle. Contributions tied to primary or general election limits are treated differently.  It is a violation to spend any general election contribution for the primary election campaign, if to do so would cause the contributor of those general election funds to exceed the contribution limit for the primary election.

Candidates who are subject to contribution limits are not required to segregate primary from general in separate bank accounts. Primary and general contributions, however, must be accounted for separately, so that campaign records reflect one aggregate contribution total for each contributor giving in the primary election and a separate aggregate contribution total for each contributor giving in the general election.

All campaigns must accurately record and report the actual sources and amounts of contributions received as well as the true recipients and amounts of expenditures. It is a serious violation of the law to use a fictitious name, no name or substitute name in order to conceal the truth. RCW 42.17A.435