Trump Fires FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub; She Calls It Illegal

Ellen Weintraub, Chair of the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), revealed on Thursday that she had received a letter from President Donald Trump stating that she had been removed from her post.

However, she swiftly rejected the action, labeling the removal as not valid under the law. "Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair," Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat, wrote on X on Thursday evening.

"There's a legal way to replace FEC commissioners — this isn't it," she said, accompanied by a screenshot of a letter signed by Trump.

The letter stated, "You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately."

Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002, Weintraub has served on the FEC for over two decades.

"I've been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon," she said in her post.

While her official term expired five years after her appointment, the lack of a replacement allowed her to continue as an "acting" commissioner, Reuters reported.

According to the FEC website, she has been a staunch advocate for meaningful campaign-finance reforms and has pushed for greater transparency in election-related funding.

In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Weintraub, a frequent critic of Trump, stated that she wasn't particularly shocked by the president's attempt to dismiss her, adding that she had anticipated such an action.

"There have been dozens of complaints filed against the president," Weintraub told The Times. "I have pointed that out. I've written about this. So I'm not really surprised that I am on their radar."

In 2020, Weintraub publicly disagreed with Trump after he claimed that expanding mail-in voting would result in widespread voter fraud.

The FEC, an independent agency responsible for enforcing federal campaign finance laws, operates under strict guidelines. Commissioners are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate.

A key stipulation is that no more than three commissioners can belong to the same political party. Additionally, at least four votes are required to take any official action. The structure is designed to promote impartial decision-making, The Hill reported.

Federal law mandates that FEC commissioners serve six-year terms, but they may remain in their roles past their term expiration until the president nominates a successor, who must then be confirmed by the Senate.

The agency employs more than 300 staff members, all overseen by six Commissioners. The FEC's vice chair, James Trainor, is a member of the Republican Party.

Since assuming office, Trump has initiated a significant overhaul of the government. He has dismissed or sidelined hundreds of civil servants and high-ranking officials in his efforts to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and appoint more of his loyal supporters to key positions.