Statement re Defending the Commission in Public Citizen v. FEC begins:

For nearly forty years, votes to defend the Commission in cases challenging dismissals of administrative complaints have been routine, pro forma acts. Even when the Commission has split on whether to proceed in an enforcement matter, the decision to defend has been uncontroversial. In recent days, however, our colleague Commissioner Ann Ravel has announced her desire to upend this consensus. Not only does this effort derail longstanding Commission practice, but more troublingly, it contravenes well-established legal precedents and evinces a flippant disregard for judicial review.

A copy of the email from Commissioner Hunter’s office with the press release has the following cover note:

Good afternoon, hope you are well.  Attached please find a statement from Lee Goodman, Matt Petersen and me regarding the FEC’s vote to authorize defense of suit in Public Citizen v. FEC.

Please remember any response to this email is subject to a FOIA request.  As we have learned, CREW views positive emails to Republican Commissioners as evidence of collusion.