Shana M. Broussard is an American attorney who served as the chair of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for 2021. She has been a Democratic member of the FEC since December 15, 2020.^[1]

Early life and education

Broussard was born on the Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara, California, and raised in Louisiana.^[2] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dillard University and a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center.^[3]

Career

Broussard was a clerk for a local court in Shreveport, Louisiana, and later clerked for the state appellate court. ^[4] Broussard served as a New Orleans Assistant District Attorney, and later as an Attorney Advisor at the Internal Revenue Service and a Deputy Disciplinary Counsel at the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. She served as the counsel to FEC Commissioner Steven T. Walther.^[3]

Federal Election Commission

On October 28, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Broussard to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal Election Commission,^[3] the first Black commissioner of the FEC,^[5] to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ann Ravel on March 1, 2017. Her nomination was sent to the Senate on October 30, 2020,^[6] and she was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 92–4 on December 9, 2020,^[7] She was sworn in on December 15, 2020,^[8][9] with her term as Commissioner of the FEC expiring on April 30, 2023. On December 22, 2020, she was elected chair for the 2021 year.^[10] In May 2021, Broussard opposed the FEC's decision not to investigate Donald Trump for allegedly using campaign funds to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. ^[11] In June 2023, Broussard voted in favor of a petition requesting that the FEC develop guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in campaign advertisements. ^[12]