WASHINGTON — Even in a dysfunctional capital, the Federal Election Commission has long stood out for monumental dysfunction. It has endured years without full membership, months without a quorum and persistent deadlocks between its three Democratic and three Republican commissioners over whether to even begin inquiries into campaign law violations — not to mention open hostility in its ranks and longstanding vacancies in critical posts. As billions of dollars have poured into American political campaigns in recent years, the F.E.C. has been an idle bystander, a “zombie” watchdog in the view of many in the campaign finance world from both political parties. “You have literally seen the referee leave the field,” said Representative Derek Kilmer, Democrat of Washington and a longtime proponent of shaking up the commission.

Source: New York Times April 17, 2021 09:00 UTC