Ellen Weintraub, the chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission, said President Donald Trump is attempting to remove her from the agency.
“Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of FEC,” Weintraub wrote in an X post on Thursday night, which came attached with a dismissal letter signed by Trump.
“There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn’t it,” Weintraub added.
Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of @FEC. There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn’t it. I’ve been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That’s not changing anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/7voecN2vpj
— Ellen L. Weintraub (@ellenlweintraub.bsky.social) (@EllenLWeintraub) February 6, 2025
According to Weintraub’s post, Trump’s letter was dated January 31. Weintraub has served as a commissioner since 2002. The FEC administers and oversees compliance with federal election laws.
Although Weintraub’s term as commissioner expired in April 2007, she has continued to serve on the FEC and chaired it in 2003, 2013, and 2019. The chair position rotates yearly and Weintraub was elected as chair for the fourth time this year.
According to federal law, commissioners of the FEC are appointed to six-year terms. Commissioners can remain on the FEC past their term’s expiration date until a replacement is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
“I’ve been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That’s not changing anytime soon,” Weintraub wrote in her post on Thursday.
The FEC’s press office declined to comment on Weintraub’s post. Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Weintraub told The New York Times in an interview published Thursday that she was “not really surprised” by Trump attempt to dismiss of her.
“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,” she continued.
Back in 2020, Weintraub criticized Trump after he said that the expansion of mail-voting will lead to widespread voter fraud.
“Such falsehoods are not mere words. These falsehoods may well undermine the American people’s faith in our democracy,” Weintraub wrote in a 66-post thread on X in May 2020.
“True leaders speak truth,” she added.
The post The head of the FEC is defying Trump’s attempt to fire her appeared first on Business Insider.
