Federal Election Commission vice chair announces resignation, leaving the agency powerless

Federal Election Commission HQ in Washington, DC.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A highly contested presidential race is when the U.S. would need an election watchdog the most.

Yet the Federal Election Commission — the agency tasked with overseeing and regulating campaign finance in federal elections — is about to be rendered essentially powerless. That's because Vice Chair Matt Petersen submitted his resignation on Monday, leaving it without the four-person quota needed to vote, conduct investigations, and impose fines, among other things, The Center for Public Integrity reports.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.