FEC chairwoman confirms accepting 'opposition research' from foreign national is illegal

FEC chairwoman confirms accepting 'opposition research' from foreign national is illegal

BY JOHN BOWDEN at the Hill

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/464363-fec-chairwoman-confirms-accepting-opposition-research-from-foreign-national

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Federal Election Commission (FEC) chief Ellen Weintraub on Friday stated firmly that accepting any kind of "opposition research" from a foreign national or government would be considered illegal under U.S. elections law.

In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Weintraub said that the law was clear on accepting aid from foreign governments during an election, comments which followed President Trump's public call for China and Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the current front-runners for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

"The law is pretty clear,” Weintraub said to co-host Willie Geist. “It is absolutely illegal for anyone to solicit, accept or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with any election in the United States."

"I don't want to comment on the specifics," she added of Trump's call for Biden to be investigated by foreign governments. "I'm just here to explain the law. That's part of my job, and I think this is a moment in America where it's really important that the American people understand what the law is."

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