New FEC nominations “too little, too late” as agency remains MIA for 2020 election

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to nominate attorneys Sean Cooksey and Shana Broussard to serve on the Federal Election Commission, which has been without a quorum for 117 days and counting, Issue One issued the following statement:

“These new nominations are too little, too late. It is a breach of trust with the American people that the Federal Election Commission has been missing in action most of this election cycle because it has lacked the quorum necessary to conduct most official business. Without a quorum, the FEC has been unable to initiate investigations into complaints filed with the agency as well as fine those who it has determined to have broken the law. The 2020 election has seen record-breaking spending, and it’s a travesty that the agency charged with ensuring the law was followed has sat on the sidelines,” said Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee.

She continued: “For the FEC to be an effective watchdog, it needs to not only have just a quorum but a quorum of commissioners who are dedicated to upholding our nation’s campaign finance laws. There needs to be a rigorous review of the individuals the president has nominated to fill the vacancies on the FEC, complete with robust hearings that can clearly establish each of these lawyer’s enforcement philosophies. Without enforcement, there is no law. The American people deserve a fully functioning watchdog that will uphold our nation’s anti-corruption laws.”

Background:

The Federal Election Commission, our nation’s election watchdog, has been effectively shut down since July 4, 2020, because it does not have enough commissioners to do its job. This is just the third time that the FEC has lost a quorum in its 45-year history — but the second time this year. The FEC had previously been without a quorum for more than nine months, beginning in September 2019.