This article was originally published in Venable's Political Law Briefing Blog.
Maryland has had a pay-to-play law for many years, which requires government contractors to register and file reports concerning political contributions to state and local candidates. Since 2015, the law has been in a state of flux as legislators and regulators have written and re-written the requirements, creating a complex reporting system.
The law is triggered when a business receives a contract from a Maryland state or local government body with a total value of $200,000 or more. The parent company of the business holding the contract must register with the State Board of Elections, and then keep the registration up to date with new contracts it and its subsidiaries receive. Every six months, the parent company must disclose certain contributions made by it and each of its subsidiaries, as well as contributions by each of those entities’ officers, directors, and partners. In addition, it must disclose contributions made by other individuals, such as employees and lobbyists, if they make contributions at the "direction or suggestion" of these officers, directors, or partners.