Federal Election Commission Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub said she received a letter from President Donald Trump telling her she was removed from her position — a notice she said is not legal.
“Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of @FEC,” Weintraub said in a post on X. “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 showed the letter in her social media post. “You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately,” the White House letter dated Jan. 31 says. “Thank you for your service on the Commission.”
Weintraub is one of three Democrats on the FEC, next to two Republicans and a vacant seat.
Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general within his first week in office, a move considered by some unlawful. It prompted Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to send him a letter asking to explain the moves and why he didn’t notify Congress.
The Trump administration has sought to reform a great portion of the federal government since its start. Democrats have largely condemned the moves, with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) responding to the Weintraub letter shortly after she posted it.
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“Trump’s political purge continues with this illegal dismissal of Democrat Ellen Weintraub from the FEC,” he wrote on X.
A large portion of the government changes have been led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which seeks to vastly cut government spending. As a consequence, many government positions are expected to be eliminated in the coming months.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment but received no response.
