On October 16, 2003 a key congressional committee heard testimony on the Federal Election Commission's controversial enforcement record.
The House Committee on Administration, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance and election law matters, invited two sitting FEC commissioners and a slate of Democratic and Republican party lawyers and reform opponents to testify on the agency's enforcement practices at the hearing. Representing the FEC were Chair Ellen Weintrauband Vice-Chair Bradley Smith. Other witnesses from the Democratic side included Democratic Party lawyer Mark Elias and former FEC Commissioner Karl Sandstrom (who, while serving on the FEC, was a key vote for regulations undermining the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act). Elias and Sandstrom are members of the Perkins Coie law firm. Republican Party lawyer Don McGahnand James Bopp, both opponents of campaign finance reform, also testified.
Rather than focusing on narrow administrative issues, the questioning at the hearing quickly broadened to include inquiries as to the FEC's role and performance, including discussion of bipartisan legislation introduced in the 108th Congress to scrap the agency and create a new, three-member Federal Election Administration (S. 1388/H.R. 2709). No proponents of that legislation - or of reform more generally - were present.
