Washington DC - Ellen L. Weintraub, who has served on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for more than two decades, has reportedly been fired in a short letter from President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, FEC Chair Ellen L. Weintraub revealed that Trump had attempted to fire her in a one-line signed letter sent by the White House.

"Dear Commissioner Weintraub, you are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately," the letter read. "Thank you for your service on the Commission."

Weintraub, who has served on the Commission since 2002, claimed in her post that while there is a legally valid way to fire her, sending a threatening letter is not one of them.

Politicians Nancy Pelosi gets new young challenger for congressional seat

"There's a perfectly legal way for him to replace me – this isn't it," she said in a post on X. "I've been lucky to serve the American people and stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon."

To replace or remove a Federal Election Commissioner, the president must nominate an alternative and have that person confirmed by the Senate. The current commissioner cannot be "fired" until this process has been completed.

The idea is that the FEC can continue to operate independently of political pressure, with ultimate authority over appointments placed in the hands of Congress, not the executive.

In quotes attributed to Weintraub by The New York Times, she pointed at public statements she had made about FEC complaints against Trump as a potential reason for her attempted firing.

"There have been dozens of complaints filed against the president," Weintraub said. "I have pointed that out. I've written about this. So, I'm not really surprised that I am on their radar."