FEC Head: It's 'Illegal' to Accept Anything of Value From Foreign Power

Ellen Weintraub, who chairs the Federal Election Commission, said she wants to make it clear that foreign assistance is illegal in U.S. elections.

In a Thursday evening tweet, Weintraub wrote: “I would not have thought that I needed to say this.”

And in a statement attached to the tweet, she added: “Let me make something 100% clear to the American public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election. This is not a novel concept.

“Electoral intervention from foreign governments has been considered unacceptable since the beginnings of our nation. Anyone who solicits or accepts foreign assistance risks being on the wrong end of a federal investigation.”

And she warned: “Any political campaign that receives an offer of a prohibited donation from a foreign source should report that offer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Her comments came after President Donald Trump said that if a foreign power offered dirt on his 2020 opponent, he’d be open to accepting it and that he’d have no obligation to call the FBI.

• Romney: 'Unthinkable' a Candidate Would Take Dirt from Foreign Gov.
• Sen. Graham: Trump's Foreign Help Quip a 'Mistake of Law'