Grand Theft America / Receipt power-2026-07-09-020
Trump fires the last of the federal election watchdogs
Trump removes all three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission—Hicks and Hovland fired; McCormick allowed to resign—leaving the only federal agency devoted to election administration without a quorum to act, months before the midterms. The White House cited Trump v. Slaughter as authority to remove independent-agency members at will.
What happened
Trump removed all three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission—two fired, one allowed to resign—leaving the only federal agency devoted to election administration without a quorum to act, months before the midterms. The White House cited Trump v. Slaughter as authority to remove independent-agency members at will.
Why it matters
The EAC sets the standards and certifies the voting systems states rely on. Decapitating it just before the midterms removes a neutral referee at the worst possible moment, and does it under a new claim that no independent agency is beyond the president's reach.
Receipt details
- Phase 1
- Capture the referees
- Put the independent agencies under White House control
