Washington, DC – The Institute for Free Speech released the following statement congratulating the Senate on today’s vote to confirm Allen Dickerson, Shana Broussard, and Sean Cooksey to the Federal Election Commission. The confirmations will fill three vacancies at the FEC and restore the Commission to its full six-member status.
“Allen Dickerson is an excellent addition to the FEC who brings years of experience and a proven dedication to the rule of law. Having worked with him for over nine years at the Institute for Free Speech, I hold Allen in the highest regard as a lawyer, a professional, and a person. We wish to congratulate him, and the Senate and White House, on today’s much-deserved confirmation,” said Institute for Free Speech Chairman and former Federal Election Commission Chair Bradley A. Smith.
“We also congratulate Shana Broussard and Sean Cooksey on their confirmations. The FEC will now have a quorum and a full slate of commissioners for the first time since 2017, allowing it to provide guidance to speakers and defend its actions in court,” Smith continued.
Institute for Free Speech President David Keating also praised the confirmations.
“The Institute’s loss is the nation’s gain. Allen was a tremendous asset to our organization, and we greatly enjoyed working with him. I am confident he will do an outstanding job at the FEC,” said Keating.
In a letter to the Senate supporting Dickerson’s confirmation, a bipartisan group of campaign finance experts noted that he “has been an active, knowledgeable participant in our discussions of complicated campaign finance, constitutional, and legal questions. We have worked with him or observed his work and character over the years and believe that he is especially well-qualified for the position. He listens to perspectives from all sides, responds courteously and thoughtfully to differing views, and provides his own views clearly and objectively.”
Dickerson has served as the Institute for Free Speech’s Legal Director since 2011. He was nominated to the FEC by President Trump in September 2020. Shana Broussard and Sean Cooksey were nominated by the President in October 2020. Smith founded the Institute for Free Speech in 2005 after leaving the FEC.
About the Institute for Free Speech
The Institute for Free Speech is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and defends the First Amendment rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government. Originally known as the Center for Competitive Politics, it was founded in 2005 by Bradley A. Smith, a former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission. The Institute is the nation’s largest organization dedicated solely to protecting First Amendment political rights.
