For more than a decade, America’s campaign watchdog agency was a portrait of dysfunction.
Divided equally between three Republicans and three Democrats, the Federal Election Commission deadlocked so often it became a political punchline as investigations languished, enforcement slowed and updated guidelines for the internet era stalled.
Now, the commission has suddenly come unstuck.
Reform groups are aghast at what they see as the swift unraveling of longstanding restraints.
Those on both sides of the ideological divide agree on one thing: The changes amount to some of the most significant regulatory revisions since the campaign finance law, the McCain-Feingold Act, was put in place two decades ago.
Persons:
Marc Elias
Organizations:
Democratic, McCain, Feingold