Lee Goodman is leaving his post as a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission to rejoin Wiley Rein as a partner in Washington, D.C.

Goodman, a Republican, practiced earlier in his career at Wiley Rein but was a partner at LeClairRyan before he was appointed to the FEC by President Barack Obama in 2013 to replace Don McGahn, who now serves as White House counsel to President Donald Trump. Goodman served as chairman of the agency in 2014.  He is expected to leave government next week and officially join Wiley Rein on Feb. 20.

Goodman has several decades of experience as an elections lawyer and adviser to presidential campaigns. He previously served as general counsel of the Republican Party of Virginia.

“All aspects of civic engagement and political activity are under federal, state, local and even international regulatory microscopes today, so it's important that organizations include experienced political counsel in their compliance and public affairs programs,” Goodman said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with the Wiley Rein team to advise corporate and political clients.”

Goodman submitted his letter of resignation to Trump this week. In the letter, Goodman touted the FEC's efforts to restrain “unlawful efforts to regulate, and in some cases censor, American citizens' political opinions on YouTube and Twitter, as well as the freedom of press outlets like Fox News and WCVB-TV of Boston to make editorial decisions concerning their political coverage.”

Wiley Rein said in a statement that Goodman will be a member of the firm's election law and government ethics practice and will advise clients on political activities and free speech matters. He previously practiced at the firm from 1990 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2005, when he joined LeClairRyan, according to a timeline from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Goodman worked with multiple presidential campaigns from 2007 through 2012 and previously advised former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. Gilmore ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primaries.

Goodman's departure from the FEC leaves four remaining commissioners and eliminates the Republicans' majority on the commission.