FEC Chair Posts Helpful Reminder That Asking For Foreign Political Help Is Illegal

Ellen L. Weintraub, Chair, U.S. Federal Election Commission, speaks at a panel discussion on disinformation and the 2020 campaign co-hosted by PEN America on September 17, 2019 at the FEC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty... Ellen L. Weintraub, Chair, U.S. Federal Election Commission, speaks at a panel discussion on disinformation and the 2020 campaign co-hosted by PEN America on September 17, 2019 at the FEC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for PEN America) MORE LESS
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Federal Election Commission chair Ellen L. Weintraub would like to inform everyone that it’s illegal to push foreign governments to investigate your political rivals, in case anyone forgot.

After Trump declared on camera Thursday that Ukraine and China should investigate 2020 rival Joe Biden, Weintraub recirculated her statement from June 13 on “illegal contributions from foreign governments.”

“Let me make something 100% clear to the America public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election,” the statement read. “This is not a novel concept.”

“Is this thing on?” Weintraub tweeted with a microphone emoji on Thursday.

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