Ellen L. Weintraub

Ellen L. Weintraub
Chair of the Federal Election Commission
In office
January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013
President Barack Obama
Member of the Federal Election Commission
Assumed office
December 9, 2002
President George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded by Karl Sandstrom
Personal details
Born New York City
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Bill Dauster (three children)
Alma mater Harvard Law School, Yale College
Profession Lawyer

Ellen L. Weintraub is a Commissioner on the United States Federal Election Commission.

Career

Ellen Weintraub began her career in private practice as a litigator with the New York firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel.[1] Weintraub was then counsel to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the U.S. House of Representatives (the House Ethics Committee), where she advised members on investigations.[2] She focused on implementing the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (Pub.L. 101–194) and subsequent changes to the House Code of Official Conduct. She also served as editor in chief of the House Ethics Manual and as a principal contributor to the Senate Ethics Manual. Weintraub subsequently returned to private practice as counsel at Perkins Coie LLP, where she was a member of its Political Law Group. There, she counseled clients on federal and state campaign finance laws, political ethics, nonprofit law, and lobbying regulation. During the election contest arising out of the 1996 election of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Weintraub served on the legal team that advised the Senate Rules Committee.

Weintraub received a recess appointment to the Federal Election Commission on December 6, 2002, and took office on December 9, 2002.[3] She was renominated on January 9, 2003, and confirmed by unanimous consent of the United States Senate on March 18, 2003. Shortly after her arrival at the FEC, Weintraub was elected Chair of the Commission for 2003. She is the third woman to serve on the Commission, following Republicans Lee Ann Elliott and Joan Aikens.[4] In June 2008, two more women, Democrat Cynthia L. Bauerly and Republican Caroline C. Hunter, joined Weintraub on the Commission.[5]

In July 2013, while Weintraub was serving as Chair, the Commission ruled that legally married same-sex couples must be treated the same as opposite-sex couples under election law.[6]

In February 2017, Weintraub called on President Donald Trump to reveal his evidence of voter fraud after the president claimed that it caused him and former Senator Kelly Ayotte to lose in New Hampshire in the 2016 U.S. election.[7] “The scheme the President of the United States alleges would constitute thousands of felony criminal offences under New Hampshire law,” Weintraub said in a statement printed on FEC letterhead.[8] As a result, an organization funded by the Koch brothers, Cause of Action, issued a statement calling for her to be investigated for ethics violations.[9][10] Weintraub subsequently defended her actions and maintained that the alleged fraud would constitute a violation of federal campaign finance laws, which is germane to her position as a FEC commissioner.[11]

During 2017, Weintraub championed greater disclosure of political ads on the internet, and helped move the FEC to open a rulemaking on the matter with bipartisan support.[12]

Weintraub's term ended April 30, 2007, but she continues in office until her successor takes office.[13] She is not eligible for reappointment.

Personal Life

Weintraub is married to Bill Dauster, Director of Policy for Senator Chris Van Hollen and former Legislative Director for Senator Russ Feingold.[14] She is an adherent to Reform Judaism.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub Biographical Information". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Ellen L. Weintraub Official Biography". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  3. ↑ "President Bush Announces Recess Appointment". The White House. December 6, 2002.
  4. ↑ "Ellen L. Weintraub Official Biography". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  5. ↑ "FEC Commissioners". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  6. ↑ "Gay spouses have same rights as straight couples, FEC rules". The Washington Post. July 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Elections official asks Trump for evidence of voter fraud". Reuters. February 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Statement of Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub Regarding Allegations by the President of the United States of Widespread Voter Fraud in New Hampshire," February 10, 2017.
  9. ↑ "FEC commissioner: 'I will not be silenced' on Trump's voter fraud claims". Washington Examiner. February 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ "What The Media Should Know About Cause Of Action, The Koch-Backed Group Suing Over Clinton's Emails," Media Matters, July 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ "FEC member: I have the right to demand Trump prove voter fraud claims". CNN. February 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Election officials move closer to placing new rules on Facebook and Google". The Washington Post. November 16, 2017.
  13. ↑ 2 U.S.C. § 437c(a)(2)(B)
  14. ↑ "Who Runs Gov: Bill Dauster". Washington Post. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  15. ↑ Rosenblum, Jonah L. "A Jewish perspective on the Federal Election Commission". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
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