Commissioner James "Trey" Trainor, appointed in 2020, told a House committee, The problem is stark. It's the growing weaponization of the government to harass and hinder the political participation of our citizenry in the democratic process. The Federal Election Commission has become a weapon."

Specifically, Trainor pointed to prosecutions of politicians (not Trump) and a previous investigation of a pro-Trump Facebook page operator as examples of the weaponization. "Make no mistake, the current headlines about the criminal prosecution of political actors reflects a trend that is going to continue for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the commission has become part of that problem," Trainor, a Texas election lawyer who advised Trump's 2016 campaign, said.