FEC Commissioner Fired by Trump Says She Won’t Go Without a Fight
Ellen Weintraub announced that she had received a termination notice from the president—but said that wouldn’t be enough to remove her from the role.
Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Getty Images
Federal Election Commission Commissioner Ellen Weintraub declared Thursday evening that a lay-off notice she received from President Donald Trump will not be enough to remove her from her position.
“Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of @FEC,” Weintraub wrote on X Thursday. “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.”
The FEC commissioner also published a photo of the letter which was signed by the president and dated to Jan. 31, 2025. “You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately,” the letter read. “Thank you for your service on the commission.”
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
Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle said in a statement to the Daily Beast: “The President’s actions demonstrate his disdain for accountability under the law.
“This onslaught against the FEC—when that agency is currently reviewing complaints against the President—reeks of corruption," he continued. “Despite this disturbing act, I thank Chair Ellen Weintraub for her years of service to the Commission and the country.”
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Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin sounded off on Weintraub’s “illegal dismissal” and wrote on X: “Trump’s political purge continues with this illegal dismissal of Democracy Ellen Weintraub from the FEC.”
Federal Election Commission Commissioner Ellen Weintraub testifies during a hearing before House Administration Committee at Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 20, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
A massive, wide-spread overhaul has been taking place at federal institutions since Trump assumed office last month. The ongoing changes have included hiring freezes in different departments, buyouts being offered to employees en masse, and in some cases like Weintraub’s, terminations of employment.
These actions have been exacerbated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has quickly gained access to several crucial computer systems in the federal government and used that access to sow confusion and even in some instances make massive cuts without input from Congress or even seemingly Trump himself.
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