Recode Decode: FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the FEC works, how it tries to defend elections from foreign influence, and why the Commission is currently immobilized by a lack of "quorum" — in other words, it doesn't have enough members to launch or conclude any investigations. Weintraub talks about pending legislation to make advertising and campaign contributions more transparent, and explains how the FEC's current paralysis may undermine the cybersecurity of the 2020 presidential campaign. Plus: How she pushed back on President Trump's evidence-free claims about voter fraud in New Hampshire.

Featuring:

Ellen Weintraub (@EllenLWeintraub), chair of the Federal Election Commission

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

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