FEC Can't Enforce Campaign Finance Law for the 2026 Midterms After Trump Fired Its Chair

The Federal Election Commission has been unable to open investigations, issue fines, write rules or approve advisory opinions for most of the past year after a string of commissioner departures left it without the four members needed for a quorum. Trump removed Democratic Chair Ellen Weintraub in early 2025; she has said the removal was illegal. Three more commissioners left by October 2025, leaving only two sitting members. The agency has not resolved an enforcement case or approved new civil penalties since roughly May 2025, according to reporting published Oct. 17, 2026.

The paralysis means the nation's primary campaign-finance regulator will sit out enforcement for the entire 2026 midterm cycle, with projected ad spending of $11.6 billion. The FEC's enforcement backlog has roughly doubled, from 154 to 307 stalled matters, including a Campaign Legal Center complaint alleging Trump illegally controls the MAGA Inc. super PAC and complaints against members of both parties. A former FEC lawyer said the standstill invites "more boundary-pushing than we would otherwise see."

Trump nominated two Republican commissioners in February 2026, but the Senate had not held a confirmation hearing as of mid-October. No quorum had been restored as of this writing.