FEC chair makes it '100 percent clear' candidates can't accept election help from a foreign power

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 14 June 2019

In the wake of President Trump's admission that he would accept political dirt on his opponents offered by foreign governments, Federal Election Commission Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub tweeted a statement that she hopes gets through to all Americans.

"Let me make something 100 percent clear to the American 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," Weintraub said. "This is not a novel concept. Electoral intervention from foreign governments has been considered unacceptable since the beginnings of our nation."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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