Bloomberg BNA breaking news via email:

The Federal Election Commission has serious management problems, including a failure to hire a general counsel and fill other top staff positions, according to a new assessment from the agency’s inspector general, Lynne A. McFarland.

“Critical management positions that are directly linked to carrying out the agency’s mission have remained vacant for more than a year,” McFarland said in a memo quietly posted on the FEC website late Nov. 17 as part of the agency’s annual financial report for fiscal 2014.