Congressional Standoff May Delay Federal Election Oversight

Adav Noti, a former FEC staff attorney now with the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center said in a phone interview that public pressure to deal with commission’s long-standing problems is increasing because the FEC has lost its quorum and is unable even theoretically to enforce campaign finance laws going into the 2020 election. The country needs a debate over the role of the FEC, Noti said, adding that “the current situation provides an opportunity to have that debate.” He said the commission could be revamped by appointing six new commissioners, “ideally commissioners who believe in the mission” of the FEC. It is “absolutely” realistic to expect the administration and the Senate to act, Noti added, even though the FEC has often been ignored in the past.

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