US election commission chair says Trump tried to fire her illegally Ellen Weintraub of Federal Election Commission rejects letter from president that claims she has been removed.
United States Federal Election Commission commissioner and chair Ellen Weintraub said on Thursday she received a letter from Donald Trump that purports to fire her but added that the action was illegal.
In a post on X, Weintraub attached the January 31 letter signed by Trump which said: “You are hereby removed as a member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately.”.
Since taking office last month, Trump, a Republican, has embarked on a massive government makeover, firing and sidelining hundreds of civil servants and top officials at agencies in his first steps toward downsizing the bureaucracy and installing more loyalists.
Weintraub has served as a commissioner on the FEC since 2002, according to the FEC website.
