Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on the Dysfunctional Federal Election Commission and the Failure of President Obama to Nominate New Commissioners at Press Conference Held by Reform Groups
The Federal Election Commission is itself a national campaign finance scandal.
It is widely recognized that the FEC is a dysfunctional agency that consistently refuses to enforce the federal campaign finance laws – laws enacted to prevent the corruption of federal officeholders and government decisions.
A New York Times editorial this year (April 18, 2011) described the Federal Election Commission as “borderline useless.” A St. Louis Post Dispatch editorial this year (March 8, 2011) took it one step further, calling the FEC “completely useless.”
Right now, in the first instance, President Obama is the only one who can address this fundamental problem. Nothing can change at the FEC until President Obama sends nominations to the Senate to fill the five vacancies on the six-member Commission and starts the Senate confirmation process.
Reform groups are sending a click here.
