(a) A purchase, payment, distribution, loan (except for a loan made in accordance with 11 CFR 100.113 and 100.114), advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value, made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office is an expenditure.

(b) For purposes of this section, the term payment includes payment of any interest on an obligation and any guarantee or endorsement of a loan by a candidate or a political committee.

(c) For purposes of this section, the term payment does not include the repayment by a political committee of the principal of an outstanding obligation that is owed by such committee, except that the repayment shall be reported as disbursements in accordance with 11 CFR 104.3(b).

(d) For purposes of this section, the term money includes currency of the United States or of any foreign nation, checks, money orders, or any other negotiable instrument payable on demand.

(e)(1) For purposes of this section, the term anything of value includes all in-kind contributions. Unless specifically exempted under 11 CFR part 100, subpart E, the provision of any goods or services without charge or at a charge that is less than the usual and normal charge for the goods or services is an expenditure. Examples of such goods or services include, but are not limited to: Securities, facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, advertising services, membership lists, and mailing lists. If goods or services are provided at less than the usual and normal charge, the amount of the expenditure is the difference between the usual and normal charge for the goods or services at the time of the expenditure and the amount charged the candidate or political committee.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (e)(1) of this section, usual and normal charge for goods means the price of those goods in the market from which they ordinarily would have been purchased at the time of the expenditure; and usual and normal charge for services, other than those provided by an unpaid volunteer, means the hourly or piecework charge for the services at a commercially reasonable rate prevailing at the time the services were rendered.