Two Democratic members of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) are attending the Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention even as the commission investigates a complaint against Kamala Harris’ campaign. The Trump campaign filed a complaint on July 23, challenging a $91.5 million transfer from President Biden’s campaign to Harris, calling it a violation of federal election law.
The DNC extended invitations to all six FEC commissioners on July 25, offering them “honored guest” credentials and accommodations. Only commissioners Ellen Weintraub and Shana Broussard accepted the offer, sparking concerns about their impartiality while the complaint is under review. The three Republican commissioners and one Democratic commissioner declined the invitation.
Ethics experts are raising alarms, questioning how these commissioners can fairly judge the complaint while attending an event hosted by the party involved in the investigation. Jessica Furst Johnson, a former Republican legal counsel, called the situation “improper” given the stakes.
Weintraub, who has been with the FEC since 2002, has faced ethics controversies before. In 2017 and 2019, Republicans accused her of showing bias against President Donald Trump while presiding over cases involving his campaign. Additionally, she has drawn criticism for accepting foreign-funded trips despite speaking out against foreign influence in U.S. elections.
While the DNC is not covering the commissioners’ expenses, the optics of attending such a partisan event while overseeing a critical investigation could damage the FEC’s credibility. The controversy underscores ongoing concerns about the neutrality of government agencies in politically charged investigations.
