Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub Speaks to Bryn Mawr Poli-Sci Students
At a time when federal election laws and regulations are dominating the headlines, Bryn Mawr students got a chance to speak to the woman in charge of the agency tasked with protecting the integrity of the campaign finance process.
Ellen Weintraub, chair of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and a member of the commission since 2002, was the guest speaker in Political Science Professor Marissa Golden's Introduction to U.S. Politics class earlier this month.
Weintraub has been in the public eye in recent weeks as she has done interviews and taken to to stress that campaign finance law is clear that "it is illegal for anyone to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election."
"That is black letter law, that is not my political opinion," she recently .
Weintraub made this point to the students in Golden's class but, as she's done in the press and on social media, mostly steered clear of commenting directly on the House impeachment investigation of President Trump. Topics she touched on during her visit included the need to combat misinformation tied to elections on social media, the role of her agency, and a bit of career advice.
"The social media channels have been trying but they are, frankly, overwhelmed," Weintraub said of the torrent of misinformation campaigns that have occurred in the U.S. and throughout the world in recent years.
Weintraub spoke about the need to reconsider earlier rules that take a light hand in regulating the internet and the challenge of interpreting many laws that were written in an era when print and broadcast media were dominant.
For now, Weintraub and the FEC aren't able to act on internet regulation or other substantive issues due to the fact that the six-person panel has had only three members since the commission’s vice chairman resigned in August. Without a quorum it can’t enforce regulations, issue advisory opinions, or approve audit reports. However, even before the resignation, the Commission, which by law cannot have more than three members of the same political party, was bogged down by partisan divisions.
"There was a time when we seemed to be able to have a majority agree," said Weintraub. "However, the commission had become a lot more polarized."
While some have criticized Weintraub for her outspokenness, she looks at it as a solemn responsibility.
"I get up every day, and when I walk out the door I say to my husband 'I'm off to defend democracy' and I'm only partially joking. I think that the work we do is really fundamental to our democracy."
For students interested in a career in government or politics, Weintraub's advice was to "find your passion and find work that feeds your soul. You'll never regret taking a pay cut to do work that you're passionate about."