Trump fires Election Assistance Commission members ahead of midterms

Trump fires Election Assistance Commission members ahead of midterms. WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday terminated the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide, the White House confirmed. The remaining three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan commission were forced out of the commission on Thursday in different ways. The one Republican appointee resigned and the other two Democratic appointees were fired via an email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to one person familiar with the decision and two other people briefed on the terminations. The fourth commissioner departed the commission in April. "On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service," the termination email, seen by Reuters, said. The three remaining commissioners who were forced out, Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland and Christy McCormick, were all unanimously confirmed by the Senate. The terminations follow the recent Supreme Court decision that granted the president more power to fire members of independent agencies.