Trump forces out Election Assistance Commission's final members ahead of the midterms
The White House is defending President Donald Trump's decision to force out the three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission, an independent and bipartisan commission whose mission is to help election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process -- contending he "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."
Trump on Thursday pushed out Democratic members Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland; a Republican member of the commission, Christy McCormick, resigned. Another Republican -- Donald Palmer -- resigned from the commission earlier this spring.
It comes as Trump has sought to sow doubt in the integrity of the nation's election system ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections this fall. Despite Trump's claims, officials have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
"The Administration from the start has been working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse, and investing in a strong infrastructure to sustain that mission especially in the midterm elections," a White House official said.
The White House official pointed to the Supreme Court's recent decision in Trump v. Slaughter, in which the conservative majority rolled back 90 years of legal precedent that had prevented at-will removal of independent agency officials, as giving the president the "precedence" to remove individuals not aligned with his policy aims.
In a phone call Friday night, Hovland told ABC News the president's decision will lead to "less support, and probably less confidence" for U.S. elections-- all at a time when Hovland said "we need to be doing more, not less."
"We've arrived at a time where elections are harder than they've ever been to run, the people who run them are stretched thin, and now there are three less people working to support those public servants," Hovland said.
"We've built a great team at the EAC and they'll keep doing that work as long as they are allowed," he continued. "But today there are a few less hands, a little bit less support, and probably less confidence-all at a time when we need to be doing more, not less."
The White House has not responded to an inquiry seeking clarification on whether the Democrats refused to resign or were fired outright. ABC News has reached out to the other commission members for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
The Election Assistance Commission, made up of members confirmed by the Senate, is tasked with helping states administer their elections and helping Americans participate in the voting process. It serves as a national clearinghouse for information on election administration, certifies voting systems and maintains the national mail voter registration form.
The Institute for Responsive Government says the EAC's work can continue without commissioners.
"Today's terminations are deeply concerning in light of President Trump's relentless efforts to try to interfere in elections ... Congress deliberately structured the Election Assistance Commission as a bipartisan agency to help states administer free, fair, and secure elections," Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, said in a statement.
"These removals leave the agency without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities," Waldman said.
The president appoints people to the commission, although congressional leaders help come up with candidates -- and the Senate must confirm them.
Trump issued an executive order in March demanding the commission require proof of citizenship on national voter registration forms -- though a federal judge blocked some elements of the president's order.
Top Democrats criticized Trump for removing the remaining members of the Electoral Assistance Commission in statements overnight.
"Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast. He is gutting the independent agency that certifies voting systems and helps election officials run secure elections," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over elections, and Rep. Joe Morelle, the ranking member of the House Committee on Housing Administration, said that "President Trump is trying to dismantle yet another independent guardrail of our democracy."
In a statement provided to ABC, Palmer, the Republican commissioner who resigned in the spring, said: "My resignation to go work at Heritage was a career opportunity and did not have anything to do with the executive order or a protest of any kind."
His statement went on to say: "I want to thank my fellow commissioners for their years of service, in some cases over a decade. I wish them all the best. They would agree with me that it was an honor to serve the American people. I'm confident the men and women of the EAC will continue to work every day to ensure the security and accuracy of voting systems used across the country."
ABC News' Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
