Jason Abel

Jason Abel leads Steptoe's Campaign Finance and Political Law practice and advises clients on a range of government affairs issues, including legislative strategy and process. Jason served as chief counsel for US Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Chairman Charles Schumer and prior to that, as counsel for Senator Schumer in his personal office. Clients benefit from Jason's valuable Capitol Hill experience, where he worked with Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle to craft and execute strategy for several successful pieces of bipartisan legislation.

Recognized by Chambers USA in the political law arena and named a "Top Lawyer" for Campaign and Election Law by Washingtonian, Jason counsels candidates, corporations, trade associations, individuals and nonprofits on the complex intersection of law and political activity. His federal campaign finance practice includes PAC formation and compliance, and he counsels clients on Federal Election Commission rules and regulations. Jason has significant experience working on complicated questions arising under the House and Senate Ethics and Gift Rules, the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA), the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), and the various statutory provisions and rules surrounding conflict of interest and "revolving door" employment. He also advises financial services firms, government contractors and other businesses, as well as nonprofit entities on federal, state, and local pay-to-play and campaign finance matters, lobbying compliance, and gift and entertainment rules. 

As counsel to Sen. Schumer, Jason was a part of the team that investigated the firing of US attorneys by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and led a successful effort to persuade the DOJ to reverse course and extend benefits to the family members of fallen firefighters and auxiliary police officers. As chief counsel of the Senate Committee on Rules & Administration, Jason led the strategic development and passage of the bipartisan Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) Act of 2009, and the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011. Notably, Jason was the lead Senate aide for campaign finance issues including the DISCLOSE Act, the Democratic response to the Supreme Court’s opinion in Citizens United v. FEC.

Jason serves on the firm's pro bono committee and as Co-Chair of the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Committee of the American Bar Association's Civil Rights and Social Justice Section, and has extensive experience in voter protection and voting rights. As a summer law clerk at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. he was part of the first "election protection" poll monitoring in 2001. Since that time, Jason has taken on election protection leadership roles, including: 

• Director of State Voter Protection, Mississippi, Democratic Coordinated Campaign, 2008 General Election
• Boiler room Manager, Mississippi, Democratic Coordinated Campaign, 2018 Runoff Election for US Senate
• Boiler room Manager, Memphis, Tennessee, Democratic Coordinated Campaign, 2018 General Election
• Boiler room hotline attorney, Doug Jones for Senate, Alabama, 2017 Special Election for US Senate
• Boiler room attorney, Democratic Party of Virginia, 2016 General Election
• Regional roving poll observer, Democratic Party of Virginia, 2012 General Election
• Boiler room Manager, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Election Protection, 2004 General Election

Jason is a lecturer in law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he teaches election law, and a professorial lecturer in law at George Washington University Law School, where he teaches campaign finance law and Congressional procedure.