Ranking Members Morelle, Padilla Demand Answers After Trump Administration Moves to Fire Federal Employees Who Fought Election Misinformation

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration with oversight over federal elections, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, pressed senior officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for answers after reporting indicated employees who previously worked on election misinformation and disinformation issues were placed on administrative leave last Thursday. The lawmakers raised the alarm on the impacts of these firings on the agency’s ability to conduct essential election-related work.
 
“Election-related mis- and disinformation from domestic and foreign actors continues to threaten the strength and integrity of our democracy by weakening trust in our elections and promoting falsehoods about election officials that have resulted in threats against them and their families,” wrote the lawmakers. “Understanding the trends in misinformation and providing state and local officials with the tools to counter it is critical to protecting and supporting the effective and secure administration of our elections.”
 
“Regardless of party affiliation, all Americans deserve and expect free and fair elections,” continued the lawmakers.
  
The removal of these employees is another example of the Trump Administration ousting career government officials who may have worked on matters that did not align with President Trump’s personal viewpoints, including Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent shut down of the FBI task force that worked to uncover covert efforts by Russia, China, Iran and other foreign adversaries to manipulate U.S. voters. President Trump also recently took the unprecedented step of firing Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub.

The lawmakers requested a response by February 28, 2025.
 
Full text of the letter is available here.

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