WASHINGTON\u2014Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Administration, is asking Federal Election Commission (FEC) Inspector General Christopher Skinner to investigate \u201cpotential violations of federal ethics regulations\u201d by the commissions chairman.<\/p>\n
Davis requested in a letter to Skinner that he investigate FEC Chairman Ellen L. Weintraubs \u201cuse of official government time and resources for ideological, political purposes; her continued appearances in national media to discuss matters outside the purview of the FEC; and her refusal to recuse herself from any matters under review involving President [Donald] Trump, despite the apparent conflict of interest between [Weintraubs] nonpartisan position at the FEC and the use of her official Twitter account to publicly disparage the President.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis made his letter to Skinner, which was made available to The Epoch Times, public on Oct. 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that this pattern of behavior is unbecoming of the Federal Election Commission Chair and may have possibly broken ethics regulations. Impartial, nonpartisan leadership by the Chair of the FEC is essential for the Commission to fairly enforce our nations campaign finance laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weintraub is a Democratic appointee to the FEC, which has six commissioners, including three from each party. At least four commissioners votes are required to take official action, a requirement intended by Congress to ensure the FEC remains nonpartisan in regulating political speech in campaigns.<\/p>\n
House Democrats passed legislation earlier this year that changed the FEC to five members and gave control to partisan majorities.<\/p>\n
Weintraub has been on the FEC since 2002 and is currently in her third tour as chairman. Her official biography states that before 2002, she was \u201cOf Counsel in the Political Law Division\u201d of the Perkins Coie law firm that routinely represents Democratic Party committees and candidates.<\/p>\n
The firm recently came into public prominence as the go-between on behalf of the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for hiring former UK spy Christopher Steele for opposition research against Trump.<\/p>\n
The infamous \u201cSteele Dossier\u201d contained multiple unverified allegations about Trump colluding with Russian interests against Clinton and was the prime document used by the FBI to justify its spying on members of Trumps 2016 campaign team.<\/p>\n
Davis cited two letters and two official statements on FEC letterhead and issued by the commission, in which Weintraub severely rebuked Trump for claiming there was voter fraud in New Hampshire on Election Day 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cChair Weintraub has appeared in the national media at least six times just in the last two months to discuss issues outside the purview of the FEC,\u201d Davis told Skinner in his letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has not indicated in any interview that she was speaking as a private citizen and not as the chair of the non-partisan FEC.\u201d<\/p>\n