The Supreme Court granted the President sweeping new powers to fire executive branch officials, and on Thursday Donald Trump wasted little time flexing his emboldened authority.
The President, who still denies that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, fired a pair of liberal election officials.
He ordered the firing of Benjamin Hovland and Thomas Hicks, two Democratic members appointed by Congressional Democrats, while GOP member Christy McCormick resigned.
All three were members of the independent Election Assistance Commission, a body created to facilitate elections in 2002. The move comes just four months before the midterm elections that will determine the balance of power for Trump’s remaining two years in office.
‘The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted,’ a White House official said of the decision.
‘The Slaughter decision gives the President precedence to do so,’ the official added, citing the late June Supreme Court ruling giving US presidents power to fire executive branch officials.
Now, ahead of the midterms, there are no commissioners on the four-person panel.
There was already one vacant position before the firings and resignation after Republican Donald Palmer left the agency earlier this year.
President Donald Trump fired two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission on Thursday. The same day, the only GOP member of the comission resigned
The Election Assistance Commission aided states with overseeing US elections
Trump has tried to reform US elections since he got back into power last year. He still denies that he lost the 2020 election and claims it was stolen despite evidence to the contrary
Any action taken by the committee requires at least three commissioners’ approval. It is unclear how long it will take to fill the vacancies or if the President even wants to do so.
The commission is tasked with performing a slew of election-related duties like maintaining the National Mail Voter Registration Form, testing voting systems and distributing grants to states.
The White House did not give a specific reason for why Trump ordered the removal of the two Democratic commissioners.
Trump signed an executive order last March to overhaul US elections, including a provision that proof of citizenship be required for ballots to count.
The order required the Election Assistance Commission to change its guidelines, but a judge appointed by President Barack Obama struck down the President’s effort in June.
The administration has reportedly signaled that it will appeal the ruling.
The Constitution grants the states and Congress authority to oversee US elections, but the executive branch has some authority to impact them.
The commission was created by Congress after the 2000 election to help states improve their election administration. Florida famously had to recount its votes that year due to the close margin between George W Bush and Al Gore.
Earlier this year, the commissioners approved funds for additional security for election officials. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission worked with states to help facilitate widespread mail-in voting.
