Hobbled federal campaign finance enforcer loses another member

The vice chair of the Federal Election Commission, the federal agency charged with enforcing campaign finance laws, will resign from his post after five years with the agency, he confirmed Thursday, leaving just two commissioners behind as the agency nears five months without a quorum.

James E. “Trey” Trainor III told the Washington Examiner that he would step down from his seat early next month and is “seriously evaluating” a bid for the House seat left vacant by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). His departure lands yet another blow to the FEC after another three commissioners left their roles earlier this year.

“It has been an honor to serve in this role since President Trump appointed me in 2020, despite the long confirmation process that began in 2017,” Trainor told the Examiner. A spokesperson for the agency acknowledged a request for comment and forwarded it to Trainor’s staff, but he did not immediately respond.

Trump tapped Trainor — a Republican lawyer who represented Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign — for the FEC in 2017, and his nomination stalled in the Senate until 2020. Democratic senators grilled Trainor in his confirmation hearings, as he refused to commit to a “blanket” recusal from issues involving the president once confirmed.


https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/fec-trey-trainor-resign-00580104