Federal Judge Dismisses Democratic Lawsuit Against FEC, Upholds Agency Independence

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democratic Party committees against the Federal Election Commission (FEC), ruling that there is insufficient evidence to support claims that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to undermine the FEC’s independence. U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali stated that the court would remain open to future actions if concrete evidence of impact on the FEC’s independence emerges. The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sought to prevent the Trump administration from applying an executive order to the FEC. The order, signed in February, aimed to increase presidential control over executive branch agencies, including the FEC. Government attorneys argued that the administration had no plans to apply the order to the FEC, and the judge concluded that the order’s broad application to all executive branch employees did not specifically target the FEC. The judge emphasized the importance of the FEC’s independence in overseeing fair elections.