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Since its founding in 1974, the Federal Election Commission has long been regarded as an ineffective agency, garnering criticism as a “toothless tiger” or a “tightly leashed watchdog.”

Following the Watergate scandal, Congress introduced the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in an amendment to existing campaign finance regulations. An independent agency that would enforce campaign finance law, the FEC officially opened for business in April 1975.

In 1997, the Treasury and Government Appropriations Act mandated that FEC commissioners may serve a single six-year term, with no opportunity for reappointment. When a commissioner’s term expires, they may choose to continue serving in holdover status until they are replaced. Currently, three out of the six commissioners are in holdover status.

When transparency, regulation and accountability were mostly aspirational.

This story from the Investigative Reporting Workshop  was produced in collaboration with Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join Eye on Ohio’s free mailing list as this helps us provide more public-service reporting. As Ohio grapples with the highest number of State Tested Nurse Aides (STNAs) shortages in the country …

Continue reading “The long road for nursing-home legalization in the Ohio statehouse”

Despite removing bases and troops from Afghanistan, a huge U.S. military presence remains

Author David Vine and a team from Brown University’s Watson Institute examine the displacement caused by the United States’ post-9/11 wars. Includes August 2021 updates.

Read the full story about Maine nursing homes coping with staff shortages.

In a recent Q&A, immigration advocate Marleine Bastien calls on Congress to act after Supreme Court limits green cards for TPS holders.

The Investigative Reporting Workshop tracked immigration policy changes, executive orders and court decisions during the Trump administration and will do the same under President Biden.