Trump removes remaining Election Assistance Commission members before midterms

President Donald Trump has removed the three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent federal agency that helps oversee election funding and votingsystem certification, according to the White House. The firings come less than four months before the midterm elections and have drawn criticism from Democrats, who say the move could weaken election administration. The White House said the president has the authority to remove officials who are not aligned with his administration’s electionsecurity goals. The action follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential removal power over some members of independent agencies. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and votingrights advocates argued that the decision is an attempt to increase White House control over election oversight ahead of November's vote.