Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub has refused to vacate her position after being fired by President Donald Trump, claiming the removal was unlawful. Weintraub, a vocal Trump opponent, has long used her position to challenge the president, making her defiance unsurprising.
Weintraub was first appointed to the FEC in 2002 under President George W. Bush and continued to serve well beyond her term’s expiration in 2007. On Thursday, Trump issued an official notice stating, “Dear Commissioner Weintraub, You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission effective immediately.”
Rather than stepping down, Weintraub immediately fought back, writing on X: “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.”
Weintraub has used her position to go after Trump for years, pushing narratives that align with Democrats. She previously dismissed concerns about election fraud and most recently sought to investigate Trump over alleged payments to Stormy Daniels.
Her refusal to leave highlights the dysfunction within the FEC. The commission requires a quorum to function, yet partisan disputes have left many positions unfilled. Weintraub remained in office for nearly two decades because the Senate failed to confirm a successor.
By Friday morning, the FEC’s website marked her seat as vacant. With her status uncertain, the agency has already canceled its planned meeting for Feb. 13, raising new questions about its ability to enforce election laws.
