Trump administration fires remaining three members of Election Assistance Commission

The Trump administration has fired two members of the Election Assistance Commission, and it accepted the resignation of the final remaining member. 

President Donald Trump removed Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland — both were selected by congressional Democrats — and accepted the resignation of Republican member, Christy McCormick. The fourth member resigned last spring, the New York Times reported. 

A White House official said in a statement that the firings were part of the Trump administration's strategy to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse. The president reserves the right to remove individuals who aren't aligned "with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted," the official said. 

The official supported the statement with recent Supreme Court rulings that found Trump has the authority to fire most independent regulators for any reason. 

Last year, Trump issued an executive order that called on the Election Assistance Commission to require people to show government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The order also directed state and local officials to verify the information and count ballots by Election Day. A judge blocked the order, ruling Trump exceeded his authority.