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The FEC Is Paralyzed. It Couldn't Come At A Worse Time.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/the-fec-is-paralyzed-it-couldnt-come-at-a-worse-time
By Ciara Torres-Spelliscy - September 24, 2019 6:00 am
The lights are out at the Federal Election Commission, and it comes at a time when we need the campaign finance regulator more than ever.
In just a little over a year, American voters will elect the next president, all of the members of the House and a third of the Senate, as well as eleven governors and 45 state legislatures in 2020.
After the Russian government meddled in the 2016 election, federal regulators like the FEC should be more active than ever. Yet the agency voters need to fight against foreign interference in our elections has been sitting idle.
The agency still opens and closes on business days, but the FEC has lost its quorum of commissioners. This effectively paralyzes an agency that was already plagued by gridlock.
Back in March, there was a small glimmer of action from the FEC when it announced a settlement with a super PAC for violating a ban on foreign nationals’ spending in the 2016 election. Chinese owned company American Pacific International Capital gave $1.3 million to the pro-Jeb Bush super PAC Right to Rise. The settlement slapped Right to Rise with a $390,000 fine and the Chinese company with a $550,000 fine.
Yet any hope that the FEC would tackle Russian interference was dashed when the commissioners deadlocked on a key question in August.
The FEC could have looked into Russian agent Maria Butina and Russian official Alexander Torshin and their alleged involvement with the NRA during the 2016 presidential election, but it refused to investigate. The current chair of the FEC put out a statement expressing her frustration with the agency: “Some allegations are too serious to ignore. Too serious to simply take Respondents’ denials at face value. Too serious to play games with. Yet in this matter…this agency barely lifted a finger to find out the truth behind one of the most blockbuster campaign finance allegations in recent memory.”
</snip>
By Ciara Torres-Spelliscy - September 24, 2019 6:00 am
The lights are out at the Federal Election Commission, and it comes at a time when we need the campaign finance regulator more than ever.
In just a little over a year, American voters will elect the next president, all of the members of the House and a third of the Senate, as well as eleven governors and 45 state legislatures in 2020.
After the Russian government meddled in the 2016 election, federal regulators like the FEC should be more active than ever. Yet the agency voters need to fight against foreign interference in our elections has been sitting idle.
The agency still opens and closes on business days, but the FEC has lost its quorum of commissioners. This effectively paralyzes an agency that was already plagued by gridlock.
Back in March, there was a small glimmer of action from the FEC when it announced a settlement with a super PAC for violating a ban on foreign nationals’ spending in the 2016 election. Chinese owned company American Pacific International Capital gave $1.3 million to the pro-Jeb Bush super PAC Right to Rise. The settlement slapped Right to Rise with a $390,000 fine and the Chinese company with a $550,000 fine.
Yet any hope that the FEC would tackle Russian interference was dashed when the commissioners deadlocked on a key question in August.
The FEC could have looked into Russian agent Maria Butina and Russian official Alexander Torshin and their alleged involvement with the NRA during the 2016 presidential election, but it refused to investigate. The current chair of the FEC put out a statement expressing her frustration with the agency: “Some allegations are too serious to ignore. Too serious to simply take Respondents’ denials at face value. Too serious to play games with. Yet in this matter…this agency barely lifted a finger to find out the truth behind one of the most blockbuster campaign finance allegations in recent memory.”
</snip>
This is happening on purpose...
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
The Chump Administration needs to be thrown out of office for dereliction of duty ... if for no other reason!
And there are PLENTY of other reasons.
