Democrats’ Improbable New F.E.C. Strategy: More Deadlock Than Ever

Here is the inside story of how Democrats, after a decade of defeats at the nation’s top campaign watchdog, are trying to enforce election laws in part by losing on purpose in federal court.

WASHINGTON — A funny thing keeps happening in federal court. An arm of the government has not been showing up to defend itself against lawsuits. Some judges appear confused, and less than amused, by the unusual absences. “It is necessary for the agency to pay attention to this case,” one exasperated district court judge wrote in March. Yet when the judge set another court date, in May, the agency in question, the Federal Election Commission, didn’t show up again. It was not an accident.