White House names final FEC nominee

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House nominated a senior Republican Senate aide Thursday to fill a seat on the Federal Election Commission, replacing a nominee who withdrew in the face of Democratic opposition.

The new nominee, Matthew S. Petersen, is the Republican chief counsel on the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. The White House announcement came on the same day that the Rules committee sent three other FEC candidates to the Senate for a vote.

Though the FEC staff has been at work, the six-member commission has been inactive because it has not had a quorum to conduct business. The commission is the agency that regulates federal elections and campaign finance matters.

Petersen, who is from Utah, would replace Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official whose oversight of voting rights matters had angered Democrats. Von Spakovsky, who served on the FEC under a recess appointment, withdrew from nomination last Friday.


Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfnND-q_yja0TLQ5dfdVIaDlPyGwD90QTTEO4

Keep it vacant until after the election.