Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub has refused to vacate her position after being fired by President Donald Trump, arguing that her removal is unlawful. The Democrat appointee, a vocal critic of Trump, has used her role to challenge his election claims and push for investigations into his campaign.
Weintraub was first appointed in 2002 by President George W. Bush and has held her seat for over two decades due to Senate inaction. Trump issued an official letter on Thursday removing her from the commission, stating, “Dear Commissioner Weintraub, You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission effective immediately.”
Weintraub, however, immediately pushed back, claiming Trump does not have the authority to remove her. “Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of [the FEC]. There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners—this isn’t it,” she posted on X.
Her refusal to step down comes after years of using her position to go after Trump. She has repeatedly denied allegations of election fraud and was a strong supporter of investigating Trump over alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Weintraub’s term officially expired in 2007, but because the Senate failed to confirm a replacement, she remained on the commission far beyond her original appointment. The FEC requires a quorum to operate, and partisan disputes have made it difficult to confirm new members.
While Weintraub insists she is still in office, the FEC website marked her seat as vacant by Friday morning. The agency’s upcoming Feb. 13 meeting has been canceled, raising further questions about its ability to function moving forward.
