Dysfunction and conflict continue to roil the Federal Election Commission (FEC), where Republican commissioners hope to exploit their short-term majority and pass wrongheaded changes to the agency’s rules. This summer, Vice Chairman Donald F. McGhan and two other Republican commissioners proposed barring the FEC’s general counsel, when judging whether to pursue an enforcement matter, from consulting publicly available information without commission approval. This would prohibit the FEC staff from using Google, Facebook or a newspaper to look into a possible violation of campaign finance laws without prior approval. The proposal would also limit the FEC’s ability to share information with the Justice Department.
Commissioner Cynthia L. Bauerly’s departure in February left Democrats on the commission outnumbered. Though new commissioners have been nominated and await confirmation, the Republicans are demanding that FEC Chairman Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat, put consideration of the proposal on the agenda of this month’s meeting.
Last week, House Administration Committee Chairman Candice Miller (R-Mich.) joined them. “When a federal agency keeps its enforcement policies and procedures secret or makes them difficult to understand, it increases the opportunity for abuse by its employees — abuse that has very real consequences for the Americans subject to its power,” Ms. Miller said in a statement, adding, “The revelations of abuse of certain groups by the IRS because of their political beliefs has violated the trust of every American and has diminished their faith in the government.”
Full Article: A full commission should address FEC rules changes – The Washington Post.