Trump removes head of Federal Election Commission, but she refuses to step down

According to media reports, the dismissal occurred amidst a broader reorganization of the federal government by the new White House administration.

“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," Weintraub wrote on the social media platform X.

The attempt to dismiss the Chair of the Federal Election Commission comes as the Trump administration continues to remove senior officials across the US government.

CNN notes that the FEC oversees the fundraising and expenditures of candidates for federal office and publishes disclosure reports.

Weintraub holds one of the six commissioner positions at the FEC, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with voting rights on committee matters. By law, the commission can have no more than three members affiliated with one political party.

Commissioners are expected to serve a single six-year term but can effectively remain in office if no replacement is appointed.

Weintraub was first appointed to the Federal Election Commission in 2002 by then-President George W. Bush and has served continuously since. In December, she was elected Chair of the commission for 2025.

The media also highlights that Weintraub has been a frequent critic of Donald Trump. She once voted in favor of investigating the president over allegations of violating rules prohibiting coordination between his campaign and allied super PACs, as well as accusations that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election results.

She also voted for an investigation into Trump’s promotion of his businesses - including hotels, golf courses, bottled water, and wineries - during the 2016 campaign, particularly at rallies.

In this case, the FEC deadlocked with a 3-3 vote, as in many other cases involving Trump, when three Republican commissioners voted against proceeding with the investigation. Moving forward with an investigation always requires four votes.