President Trump removed the three remaining commissioners of the independent federal agency that administers election funds, weeks after a Supreme Court ruling expanded his firing authority.
4:22 PM
President Donald Trump has ousted all three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission, an independent federal agency that assists states in election administration, the White House confirmed Friday. The removals occur less than four months before the midterm elections.
Trump immediately fired Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, both commissioners selected by Democrats in Congress, and accepted the resignation of Republican member Christy McCormick. A fourth commissioner had resigned earlier in the spring. With no commissioners remaining, the Election Assistance Commission cannot vote to take formal action to assist states in election administration.
The White House cited a recent Supreme Court decision as legal precedent for the removals. On June 29, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling upholding Trump's authority to fire Federal Trade Commission member Louise Slaughter, expanding the president's power to remove officials from independent federal agencies. The Election Assistance Commission was the first agency to receive termination orders following that decision, according to reports, among roughly a dozen agencies affected by the ruling.
Democrats criticized the move as an attempt to undermine elections. Senior Democrats called Trump's dismemberment of the Election Assistance Commission a "brazen attempt" to control elections and vowed to fight back against the Trump administration's efforts. They characterized the action as the latest example of Trump's efforts to subvert U.S. elections.
The Election Assistance Commission was established in 2002 following the passage of legislation addressing election administration. The agency's primary function is to help administer election funds and support states in conducting elections. By removing all commissioners, Trump has effectively paralyzed the only federal agency devoted solely to election administration during a critical period before the midterm elections.
The timing of the removals coincides with Trump's broader push for electoral reform. The president is currently pressing for changes to election procedures that critics argue would restrict voting rights. The removal of the commission's members occurs as Trump attempts to exert greater control over how ballots are counted and election results are determined.
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