David LaCerte
Whoever the sitting president is, that person has the right to nominate commissioners to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). And the president has the right to appoint three of the five seats on FERC (a majority) from his or her political party. The issue is that when nominated, FERC commissioners are supposed to be able to serve a full four-year term, which overlaps from one administration to the next. President Trump has pressured some FERC commissioners, such as former Chairman Willie Phillips (a Democrat), to step down before the end of their terms so that Trump can appoint his preferred individuals. Phillips resigned early in April, well ahead of the expiration of this term (see FERC Commissioner Phillips Resigns/Gone Leaving 2-2 Split). Current Chairman, Mark Christie (a Republican), will leave soon, too (see “Bittersweet” – Trump Replacing GOP FERC Chair Mark Christie). News broke late last week that Trump has nominated David LaCerte to replace Phillips, flipping what was a Democrat slot to Republican.
To view this content, log into your member account. (Not a member? Join Today!)
