The Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against President Trump, asserting that his recent executive order infringes on federal election law. This lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., is the first against Trump during his second term. The order seeks to control independent agencies like the Federal Election Commission (FEC), asserting that they cannot interpret laws against the president’s directives. Democrats argue this undermines Congress’s authority and sets a dangerous precedent. They claim it allows Trump to exert undue influence over electoral processes. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin emphasized that fair elections require impartial governance, not presidential control.
On Friday, the Democratic Party initiated a lawsuit against President Trump, claiming that an executive order he signed earlier this month breaches federal election law.
This legal action, jointly filed by the three national Democratic committees in federal court in Washington, D.C., marks the first instance of the party suing Mr. Trump during his second term. It arises amid ongoing internal discussions among Democrats about their strategies to counter Mr. Trump’s reorganization of the federal government.
The lawsuit targets an executive order aiming to exert authority over independent agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Election Commission.
According to the order, these agencies are prohibited from interpreting the law in a manner inconsistent with the president or attorney general. Democrats argue that this effectively places the nonpartisan Federal Election Commission, which oversees federal campaign regulations, directly under presidential control.
The lawsuit asserts, “The executive order enables President Trump — the leader of the Republican Party — to instruct the F.E.C. to adopt specific stances on any legal issues arising in the commission’s execution of its responsibilities.”
Additionally, the filing contends that the executive order infringes on federal election law and undermines congressional authority. “This assertion contradicts nearly a century of Supreme Court rulings that affirm Congress’s power to shield certain agencies and officials from day-to-day presidential oversight,” the lawsuit argues.
Democrats have consistently opposed what they describe as Republicans’ unjust and undemocratic efforts to manipulate the electoral process. One of the initial actions taken by Ken Martin, the new chair of the D.N.C., was to participate in a lawsuit challenging new election rules supported by Republicans in Georgia.
The White House and the office of Attorney General Pam Bondi, named in the lawsuit, did not respond promptly to a request for comment.
The Federal Election Commission has faced criticism for being ineffective and lacking clout over the years, frequently being unable to convene due to a lack of members, and often caught in partisan stalemates, with both parties leveraging its dysfunction.
In their lawsuit, Democrats refer to various ongoing complaints before the commission, including “a baseless complaint” against the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee alleging that the committee “inappropriately classified” four ads during the 2024 election cycle. This complaint is cited as a potential source of harm if the commission is restructured under the new executive order.
“Americans are entitled to fair elections administered by impartial overseers — not a scenario where Donald Trump can dictate the campaign regulations from the White House,” Mr. Martin stated, a message also affirmed by the chairs of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.