Trump clears Election Assistance Commission, leaving agency without quorum
The White House explored a national-emergency proposal to sideline the Election Assistance Commission before President Donald Trump dismissed its Democratic commissioners, leaving the agency without a quorum, DW. com reported. The plan would have allowed the administration to operate without the agency’s oversight. Votebeat later reported that Trump terminated the three remaining commissioners, creating a vacancy that prevents the agency from taking official action.
NPR noted that the removal of the last two commissioners sparked criticism from Democrats and voting-rights groups as the midterm elections approached. ProPublica added that the two Democratic commissioners were dismissed while the lone Republican member was allowed to resign, eliminating the bipartisan quorum. AP News said the president cited a Supreme Court decision permitting the firing of independent-agency members without cause. Former commission chair Thomas Hicks told PBS that his removal by the president leaves the agency without commissioners as the 2024 elections draw near.
