Fredreka Schouten - National Political Writer, CNN Politics
Fredreka Schouten
National Political Writer, CNN Politics
Fredreka Schouten is a CNN Politics national political writer, where she focuses on money in politics.
Latest
Election officials beef up security as new survey shows nearly 4 in 10 grapple with threats and harassment
May 1, 2024
A new survey by the Brennan Center for Justice highlights how the volatile political environment since 2020 has changed how election officials approach their jobs.
Federal judges toss out a Louisiana congressional map, bringing fresh uncertainty to the future of a House seat
May 1, 2024
A federal court on Tuesday tossed out a newly drawn congressional map that created a second majority-Black district in Louisiana – in a potential blow to Democrats seeking to seize control of the US House in November’s elections.
Millions more go to Trump legal expenses as Biden and Democratic Party expand campaign cash advantage
Apr 21, 2024
Donald Trump’s leadership PAC spent as much money as it took in last month, with his legal bills remaining a top expense as the former president grappled both with the aftermath of losing a civil fraud case and prepared for the start of a historic criminal trial in a Manhattan court.
Trump campaign and RNC pledge to unleash thousands to monitor vote counting in battleground states
Apr 19, 2024
The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee are pledging to deploy 100,000 volunteers and lawyers to monitor vote counting across battleground states this year – part of what officials describe as a stepped-up focus on “election integrity” by the national party.
Trump campaign asks GOP candidates using Trump’s name and likeness in fundraising to give it a cut
Apr 17, 2024
Donald Trump’s campaign is asking Republican candidates and committees using the former president’s name and likeness to fundraise to give at least 5% of what they raise to the campaign, according to a letter obtained by CNN.
Trump fundraising intensifies, Democrats post big hauls and other first-quarter takeaways
Apr 16, 2024
Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising operation picked up the pace during the first three months of the year while Democratic Senate and House candidates reported massive quarterly hauls as the battle for Congress takes shape, new federal filings show.
Democratic National Committee paid lawyers who represented Biden in special counsel probe
Apr 12, 2024
The Democratic National Committee has paid law firms that represented Joe Biden in the special counsel probe into his handling of classified documents, federal records show, even as the president’s aides have lambasted Donald Trump for directing donors’ money to help pay his mounting legal fees.
GOP leaders pursue new lawsuits over 2024 election rules – including attacking methods of voting they want supporters to use
Apr 11, 2024
Republican leaders are encouraging their supporters to vote by mail in this year’s consequential presidential election, even as their party pursues lawsuits and legislation that would make it harder for those votes to count.
Trump campaign announces record $50.5 million haul at Florida fundraiser
Apr 7, 2024
Donald Trump’s campaign said it raised $50.5 million at a Saturday fundraiser in Florida, a staggering sum as the former president’s political operation scrambles to close its big financial gap with President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.
Florida fundraiser for Trump has raised $43 million so far
Apr 6, 2024
A high-dollar fundraiser Saturday to benefit former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party has raised $43 million so far, a source familiar with the details told CNN.
Wisconsin voters will approve election law changes championed by Republicans
Apr 3, 2024
Wisconsin voters will approve two election-related amendments to the state constitution, CNN projects, delivering a win for Republican lawmakers who have pushed to alter voting rules in this battleground state ahead of November’s presidential election.
Georgia lawmakers back broad election changes, including one that could benefit third-party presidential contenders
Apr 1, 2024
Republican-backed election legislation would establish new rules for challenging voters’ eligibility and make it easier to qualify for the presidential ballot.
Donors to new Trump fundraising outfit can obtain ‘Ultra MAGA’ status with maximum contribution
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has established titles for the various levels of donations his new joint fundraising operation with national and state Republican Party committees is seeking – as the former president races to find campaign cash for the general election, according to a copy of a contribution form obtained by CNN.
In quest to change voting rules, Republicans push ballot measures in key battleground states
Mar 29, 2024
Republican lawmakers and activists in several presidential battlegrounds are pushing ballot measures to change how elections are run in their states.
Federal court rules South Carolina can use congressional map previously declared unconstitutional
Mar 28, 2024
A federal court said Thursday that it will allow a US House election in South Carolina for Republican Rep. Nancy Mace’s seat to proceed under a map it had previously declared unconstitutional.
About
Fredreka Schouten is a CNN Politics national political writer, where she focuses on money in politics.
Before joining CNN, Schouten worked at USA TODAY, where she spent a dozen years writing about campaign-finance issues, lobbying and ethics. While there, she tracked the rise of unlimited money in federal politics and the ethics issues that confronted the Trump administration.
Schouten has covered an array of topics in her Washington career, ranging from environmental issues and gambling policy as a correspondent for Western newspapers in the Gannett chain to writing about the passage and implementation of President George W. Bush’s signature education law, the No Child Left Behind Act, as national education correspondent for Gannett News Service. She also has served as a city editor and bureau chief at Gannett newspapers.
Schouten got her start in journalism at The Virgin Islands Daily News, her hometown newspaper. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of the Virgin Islands.
