Inside the Federal Election Commission: Keeping the Mission Alive with Just Two Commissioners
Early Returns Law & Politics Podcast with Jan Baran
In this Early Returns episode, host Jan Baran speaks with the entire current Federal Election Commission, Chair Shana Broussard and Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum, the only two commissioners remaining after four departures left the agency without a quorum. Despite being unable to vote on new cases or issue advisory opinions, the commissioners reveal how their 249-person staff continue the FEC's critical work: processing and making public billions of dollars in campaign finance transactions, maintaining the nation's most reliable political filing system, and preparing enforcement cases for when a quorum is restored. They discuss the agency's shoestring budget, their bipartisan legislative recommendations on foreign national contributions and donor privacy, and why they believe the FEC's 3-3 partisan structure, though challenging, prevents the weaponization of campaign finance enforcement.
The commissioners also candidly address the uncertainty of their positions in the current political environment while emphasizing their commitment to transparency and restoring a full commission. With only 190 enforcement matters awaiting commissioner votes (down from 450 during the last quorum crisis) and strong staff efficiency, the FEC is positioned to hit the ground running once new commissioners are nominated and confirmed.
