Trump fires Election Assistance Commission members ahead of midterms

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jul 9) terminated the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide, according to one person familiar with the decision and two other people briefed on the terminations.



The remaining three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan commission were forced out of the commission on Thursday in different ways.



The one Republican appointee resigned and the other two Democratic appointees were fired via an email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to two people familiar with the terminations.



The fourth commissioner departed the commission in April.



The terminations follow the recent Supreme Court decision that granted the president more power to fire members of independent agencies, and a push by Trump for more federal intervention in voting processes, traditionally the purview of the states, as midterm elections approach in November.



"On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service," the email, seen by Reuters, said.