President Donald Trump has removed the last remaining members of an independent federal commission that supports United States elections, leaving the bipartisan body without any sitting commissioners. The White House confirmed the dismissals on Friday, just months before the November midterm elections.
The two Democratic appointees, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, were fired by email on Thursday, according to Reuters. The commission, established after the disputed 2000 presidential election, is legally required to have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
In a statement, the White House said, “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.”
These removals follow a recent US Supreme Court decision that expanded the president’s authority to dismiss members of independent agencies without cause. The commission’s vacancy comes amid President Trump’s push for broader changes to US voting rules.
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