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CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY
Published — August 26, 2019
Link > https://publicintegrity.org/
Petersen’s resignation, first reported by the Washington Examiner, will throw the FEC into turmoil for weeks — and perhaps months — as the nation enters the teeth of 2020 presidential and congressional elections
Peterson’s fellow commissioners say he brought collegiality and a steady, even-handed and positive approach to FEC deliberations as well as a sense of humor."
CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY
Published — August 26, 2019
Link > https://publicintegrity.org/
Federal Election Commission to effectively shut down.
Now what??
"Federal Election Commission Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen announced his resignation today.
Dave Levinthal Federal Politics Editor and Senior Reporter"Federal Election Commission Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen announced his resignation today.
Petersen’s resignation, first reported by the Washington Examiner, will throw the FEC into turmoil for weeks — and perhaps months — as the nation enters the teeth of 2020 presidential and congressional elections
For now, the FEC can’t conduct meetings.It can’t slap political scofflaws with fines.
It can’t make rules.It can’t conduct audits and approve them.
It can’t vote on the outcome of investigations.
And while staff will continue to post campaign finance reports and attend to day-to-day functions, the commission itself can’t offer official advice to politicians and political committees who seek it
- No more than three FEC commissioners may identify with any one political party. And the president of the United States alone has the power to nominate commissioners to the six-member FEC.
Trump has so far made a single nomination: Trey Trainor, a Trump-supporting Texas attorney and Republican. Trump first nominated Trainor to the FEC in September 2017. . . Since then, Trump has twice renominated Trainor after the U.S. Senate failed to grant Trainor a confirmation hearing.
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While FEC commissioners often toil in relative anonymity, a few achieve high profiles:
> Former Republican FEC Chairman Trevor Potter, for example, served as Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign general counsel — then made regular appearances earlier this with comedian Steven Colbert, who had a long-running gag about super PACs and secret political money.
> Another former FEC chairman, Don McGahn, became Trump’s 2016 campaign general counsel. After Trump won the election, McGahn — long an advocate of a weak FEC and campaign finance deregulation, in general — served until late 2018 as Trump’s White House counsel.
> Former Republican FEC Chairman Trevor Potter, for example, served as Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign general counsel — then made regular appearances earlier this with comedian Steven Colbert, who had a long-running gag about super PACs and secret political money.
> Another former FEC chairman, Don McGahn, became Trump’s 2016 campaign general counsel. After Trump won the election, McGahn — long an advocate of a weak FEC and campaign finance deregulation, in general — served until late 2018 as Trump’s White House counsel.
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BYU grad’s resignation leaves FEC shorthanded
> Petersen’s departure leaves the FEC with three commissioners: Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat; Caroline Hunter, a Republican; and Steven Walther, an independent. President Donald Trump nominated Republican attorney Trey Trainor in 2017 to fill an opening, but the Senate has yet to vote on his nomination.
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The commission requires four members to make decisions. FEC guidelines also say that no more than three commissioners can be of the same political party.Peterson’s fellow commissioners say he brought collegiality and a steady, even-handed and positive approach to FEC deliberations as well as a sense of humor."