Democrats Sue to Block Trump’s Executive Order Expanding Control Over Regulatory Agencies

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) filed a lawsuit Friday challenging Trump’s executive order that seeks to expand White House influence over independent regulatory agencies.

The lawsuit, led by prominent Democratic attorney Marc Elias, argues that Trump’s order undermines the independence of agencies like the Federal Election Commission (FEC), giving the president unchecked power to shape their legal interpretations. The Democrats claim this would erode bipartisan enforcement of campaign finance laws, which were strengthened after the Watergate scandal to ensure fair and neutral oversight.

“This abrupt departure from the statutory scheme threatens significant harm to the Democratic Party’s three national political committees,” the lawsuit states. It contends that Trump’s order would override the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), which mandates that executive branch interpretations of campaign finance laws reflect the consensus of the FEC’s bipartisan commission.

The FEC is designed to operate independently, requiring at least four of its six commissioners to agree on official rulings, with no more than three commissioners from the same political party. Democrats argue that Trump’s order would allow him to bypass this structure, giving the Republican president the ability to influence campaign finance regulations in ways that could disadvantage his political opponents.

In a joint statement, DNC Chair Ken Martin, DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand, and DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene vowed to fight Trump’s executive order.

“Americans are legally guaranteed fair elections with impartial referees—not a system where Donald Trump can dictate campaign rules from the White House,” they said. “We will use every tool at our disposal to stop this illegal action in the courts.”