GEORGIA STATUTES AND CODES
               		§ 21-5-50 - (For effective date, see note.) Filing by public officers;  filing by candidates for public office; filing by elected officials and  members of the General Assembly; electronic filing; tra
               		
               		
               	 	
               	 	               	 	
               	 	
               	 	
               	 		
O.C.G.A.    21-5-50   (2010)
    21-5-50.    (For effective date, see note.) Filing by public officers;  filing by candidates for public office; filing by elected officials and  members of the General Assembly; electronic filing; transfer of filings  from the Secretary of State to the commission 
      (a)  (1)  Except as modified in subsection (c) of this Code section with  respect to candidates for state-wide elected public office, each public  officer, as defined in subparagraphs (A) through (D), (F), and (G) of  paragraph (22) of Code Section 21-5-3, shall file with the commission  not before the first day of January nor later than July 1 of each year  in which such public officer holds office other than an election year a  financial disclosure statement for the preceding calendar year; and each  person who qualifies as a candidate for election as a public officer,  as defined in subparagraphs (A) through (D), (F), and (G) of paragraph  (22) of Code Section 21-5-3, shall file with the commission, no later  than the fifteenth day following the date of qualifying as a candidate, a  financial disclosure statement for the preceding calendar year.
      (2)  Except  as set forth in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a public officer, as  defined in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (22) of Code Section 21-5-3,  shall not be required to file a financial disclosure statement pursuant  to this Code section. Each such public officer shall, however, be deemed  to be a public official for purposes of Code Section 45-10-26 and shall  be subject to the disclosure requirements set forth in Code Section  45-10-26. In addition, each such public officer shall file with the  commission, prior to January 31 each year, an affidavit confirming that  such public officer took no official action in the previous calendar  year that had a material effect on such public officer's private  financial or business interests.
      (3)  A  public officer, as defined in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (22) of Code  Section 21-5-3, who serves as a member of the commission shall be  subject to the requirements for filing financial disclosure statements  set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection. In addition, each such  public officer shall file with the commission, together with the  financial disclosure statement, an affidavit confirming that such public  officer took no official action in the previous calendar year that had a  material effect on such public officer's private financial or business  interests.
      (4)  Each member of the State  Transportation Board shall file a financial disclosure statement for the  preceding calendar year no later than the sixtieth day following such  member's election to the State Transportation Board. Thereafter, each  board member shall file by January 31 of each year a financial  disclosure statement for the preceding year. In addition, each board  member shall file with the commission, prior to January 31 of each year,  an affidavit confirming that such board member took no official action  in the previous calendar year that had a material effect on such board  member's private financial or business interests.
      (5)  The  commission shall review each financial disclosure statement to  determine that such statement is in compliance with the requirements of  this chapter.
      (6)  A public officer shall  not, however, be required to file such a financial disclosure statement  for the preceding calendar year in an election year if such public  officer does not qualify for nomination for election to succeed himself  or herself or for election to any other public office subject to this  chapter. For purposes of this paragraph, a public officer shall not be  deemed to hold office in a year in which the public officer holds office  for fewer than 15 days.
(b)  A financial disclosure statement shall be in the form specified by the commission and shall identify:
      (1)  Each  monetary fee or honorarium which is accepted by a filer from speaking  engagements, participation in seminars, discussion panels, or other  activities which directly relate to the official duties of the filer or  the office of the public officer, with a statement identifying the fee  or honorarium accepted and the person from whom it was accepted;
      (2)  All  fiduciary positions held by the candidate for public office or the  filer, with a statement of the title of each such position, the name and  address of the business entity, and the principal activity of the  business entity;
      (3)  The name, address,  and principal activity of any business entity or investment, exclusive  of the names of individual stocks and bonds in mutual funds, and the  office held by and the duties of the candidate for public office or  filer within such business entity as of December 31 of the covered year  in which such candidate or officer has a direct ownership interest  which:
            (A)  Is more than 5 percent of the total interests in such business; or
            (B)  Has a net fair market value of $5,000.00 or more;
      (4)  (A)  Each tract of real property in which the candidate for public  office or filer has a direct ownership interest as of December 31 of the  covered year when that interest has a fair market value of $5,000.00 or  more. As used in this paragraph, the term "fair market" value means the  appraised value of the property for ad valorem tax purposes. The  disclosure shall contain the county and state, general description of  the property, and whether the fair market value is between (i) $5,000.00  and $100,000.00; (ii) $100,000.01 and $200,000.00; or (iii) more than  $200,000.00.
            (B)  Each tract of real  property in which the candidate for public office's spouse or filer's  spouse has a direct ownership interest as of December 31 of the covered  year when that interest has a fair market value of $5,000.00 or more.  The disclosure shall contain the county and state, general description  of the property, and whether the fair market value is between (i)  $5,000.00 and $100,000.00; (ii) $100,000.01 to $200,000.00; (iii) or  more than $200,000.00;
      (5)  The filer's occupation, employer, and the principal activity and address of such employer;
      (6)  The filer's spouse's name, occupation, employer, and the principal activity and address of such employer;
      (7)  If  the filer has actual knowledge of such ownership interest, the name of  any business or subsidiary thereof or investment, exclusive of the  individual stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, as of December 31 of the  covered year in which the filer's spouse or dependent children, jointly  or severally, own a direct ownership interest which:
            (A)  Is  more than 5 percent of the total interests in such business or  investment, exclusive of the individual stocks and bonds in mutual  funds; or
            (B)  Has a net fair market value of more than $10,000.00
            or in which the filer's spouse or any dependent child serves as an officer, director, equitable partner, or trustee; and
      (8)  All  annual payments in excess of $10,000.00 received by the filer or any  business entity identified in paragraph (3) of this subsection from the  state, any agency, department, commission, or authority created by the  state, and authorized and exempted from disclosure under Code Section  45-10-25, and the agency, department, commission, or authority making  the payments, and the general nature of the consideration rendered for  the source of the payments.
(c) (1)  Each  person who qualifies with a political party as a candidate for party  nomination to a public office elected state wide (including an incumbent  public officer elected state wide qualifying to succeed himself or  herself) shall file with the commission, not later than seven days after  so qualifying, a financial disclosure statement. Each person who  qualifies as a candidate for election to a public office elected state  wide through a nomination petition or convention shall likewise file a  financial disclosure statement not later than seven days after filing  his or her notice of candidacy. Such financial disclosure statement  shall comply with the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this  Code section and shall in addition identify, for the preceding five  calendar years:
            (A)  Each transaction  or transactions which aggregate $9,000.00 or more in a calendar year in  which the candidate (whether for himself or herself or on behalf of any  business) or any business in which such candidate or any member of his  or her family has a substantial interest or is an officer of such  business has transacted business with the government of the State of  Georgia, the government of any political subdivision of the State of  Georgia, or any agency of any such government; and
            (B)  Each  transaction or transactions which aggregate $9,000.00 or more in a  calendar year in which the candidate or any business in which such  candidate or any member of his or her family has a substantial interest  or is an officer of such business received any income of any nature from  any person who was at the time of such receipt of income represented by  a lobbyist registered with the commission pursuant to Article 4 of this  chapter.
      (2)  The financial disclosure  statement required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include an  itemized list of the transactions required to be reported, including the  date of, dollar amount of, and parties to each such transaction.  However, with respect to any transactions of a privileged nature only  the total amount of such transactions shall be required to be reported,  and names, dates, amounts of individual transactions, and other  identifying data may be omitted; and for this purpose "transactions of a  privileged nature" shall include transactions between attorney and  client, transactions between psychiatrist and patient, transactions  between physician and patient, and any other transactions which are by  law of a similar privileged and confidential nature.
      (3)  The  financial disclosure statement required by paragraph (1) of this  subsection shall be accompanied by a financial statement of the  candidate's financial affairs for the calendar year prior to the year in  which the election is held and the first quarter of the calendar year  in which the election is held.
      (4)  As used in this subsection, the term:
            (A)  "Agency"  means any agency, authority, department, board, bureau, commission,  committee, office, or instrumentality of the State of Georgia or any  political subdivision of the State of Georgia.
            (B)  "Financial  statement" means a statement of a candidate's financial affairs in a  form substantially equivalent to the short form financial statement  required for bank directors under the rules of the Department of Banking  and Finance.
            (C)  "Person" and "transact business" shall have the meanings specified in Code Section 45-10-20.
            (D)  "Substantial  interest" means the direct or indirect ownership of 10 percent or more  of the assets or stock of any business.
      (5)  Notwithstanding  any other provisions of this subsection, if, due to a special election  or otherwise, a person does not qualify as a candidate for nomination or  election to public office until after the filing date otherwise  applicable, such person shall make the filings required by this  subsection within seven days after so qualifying.
(d)  All  state-wide elected officials and members of the General Assembly shall  file financial disclosure statements electronically with the commission.
(e)  The  electronic filing of any financial disclosure statement required under  this article shall constitute an affirmation that the statement is true,  complete, and correct.
(f) (1)  In addition  to other penalties provided in this chapter, a late fee of $125.00  shall be imposed for each financial disclosure statement that is filed  late, and notice of such late fee shall be sent to the board member,  candidate, and the candidate's committee by registered or certified mail  or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, and shall  include the schedule of increasing late fees for late filings and the  dates upon which such late fees shall be increased. In addition, a late  fee of $250.00 shall be imposed on the fifteenth day after the due date  for such statement if such statement has not been filed. A late fee of  $1,000.00 shall be imposed on the forty-fifth day after the due date for  such statement if the statement has not been filed. Campaign committee  funds shall not be used to pay such penalty.
      (2)  The  commission shall retain $25.00 of the first late fee received for  processing pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 45-12-92.1.
(g)  The  commission shall not require the reporting of any more information in a  financial disclosure statement than is expressly required to be  disclosed by this Code section.