democracydefendersfund.org

BREAKING: Preliminary injunction granted in the golf course case by Judge Reyes! The threat to close & destroy this historic property is the latest act of Trump corruption that the courts have responded to Kudos to our wonderful clients & cocounsel @democracyforward.org & Lowell & Associates

BREAKING: 9th circuit rejects DOJ's desperate appeal in California ballot case days before the election. https://www.democracydefendersfund.org/news/ddf-responds-to-ninth-circuit-ruling-every-eligible-voters-ballot-must-be-counted/

ICE kept people locked up after judges ordered them freed. When Minnesota judges spoke about it, DOJ filed a misconduct complaint against them. Now 174 bipartisan former judges are urging the Eighth Circuit to dismiss it, and we’re proud to stand with them. Read the letter:

Today is #VoteEarlyDay! Early voting gives voters more opportunities to find a time that works for them, plan around work and other commitments, and make it to the polls. Check your local early voting options and #makeaplantovote. www.voteearlyday.org/vote

Newly revealed emails obtained through our FOIA efforts show the WH was directly involved in shaping the DOJ-FBI memo that claimed no basis for more Epstein investigations. Given Trump’s well-documented ties to Epstein, the FBI coordinating with the White House on this memo is deeply concerning.

The DOJ Inspector General is declining to investigate the misconduct that led to the wrongful arrest and prosecution of Olympian Davey Hearn at the Reflecting Pool. @joshuakolb.bsky.social explains why the refusal to act is another affront to justice.

MAJOR WIN: A fed court ruled that OPM violated the law by giving Musk/DOGE access to sensitive personal data belonging to tens of millions of current, former, & prospective federal employees. Proud to have brought this case on behalf of AFGE & AALJ to uphold the rule of law. No one is above it.

Young people aren't apathetic. 89% say they're willing to vote. Getting to the polls can be difficult for students, and closing campus polling locations makes it harder. Our team explains why on-campus voting sites can improve participation.

BREAKING: The Justice Department wants more than 20,000 Los Angeles County ballots set aside on claims it hasn't proven. Our legal director Tianna Mays: "This lawsuit is about giving Trump another excuse to reject an election he loses." We've moved to join the case with partners.

BREAKING: We're asking federal watchdogs to investigate the FBI for spending taxpayer money on a partisan video that attacked a Senate candidate during early voting. Federal law bars agencies from using public funds for political propaganda. Our letter:

We filed a complaint against Trump admin officials over the pre-dawn raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home that appears to be an attempt to influence voters. The president does not get to decide who speaks, who belongs, or who stays quiet. #TrumpsAbuseOfPower

No one is above the law, including the White House Press Secretary: We and former Bush White House lawyer Richard Painter asked California's State Bar and Attorney General to investigate whether Katie Zacharia practiced law without a license. We'll keep pushing for accountability.

We filed a complaint against Trump admin officials over the pre-dawn raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home. As our bipartisan ethics experts argue, the raid appears designed to influence voters and violates longstanding DOJ policy against election-season actions.

A federal court has cleared former FEMA CFO Mary Comans, finding that Kristi Noem and Elon Musk knowingly spread “objectively and demonstrably false” claims about her. Today’s ruling vindicates Mary and exposes their smear campaign against a career public servant.

BREAKING: We & partners are suing ICE. ICE is releasing people from detention but keeping their IDs, work permits, and other essential documents. Without these documents, people can’t work, drive, or prove their status—threatening their livelihoods and their constitutional rights.

For many young people, college is where they’re voting for the first time. If getting to the polls is difficult, unfamiliar, or time-consuming, the barrier isn’t a lack of civic interest—it’s access. Our new brief digs in.

Davey Hearn was subjected to a wrongful arrest, 5hr detention, and felony indictment after the admin’s botched renovation. We’re calling for investigations into the DOJ + DOI’s gross incompetence, suppression of evidence, & misconduct. This clear abuse of power demands accountability.

For decades, an organized effort has reshaped the fed judiciary around a specific vision of economic power. The result: weaker worker protections, less competition, and less corporate accountability. From @wedemandjustice.bsky.social & @groundwork.bsky.social https://demandjustice.org/oligarchy/

Young people aren’t “future voters.” They’re eligible voters now. Their participation is essential to a healthy democracy—and making sure they can exercise their right to vote means paying attention to the barriers that can stand between young people and the ballot. Read our new brief:

Yesterday, the court ordered DOJ to expedite our FOIA requests for the Epstein files. DOJ should have been moving already. Now they have a court order. We’ll keep the pressure on until the records are public.

BREAKING: Vandalism charges against Davey Hearn are dismissed with prejudice, meaning DOJ cannot bring the case against him again. The DOJ's own records show there was no crime. The rule of law prevailed & the Trump admin's attempt to make an innocent American pay for its poor decisions failed.

BIG WIN for making the Epstein Files public Judge Kollar-Kotelly grants summary judgment to us at @democracydefendersfund.org Orders DOJ to get busy giving us the docs. We will hold their feet to the fire!

“As illegal as it is heartless” Thousands of families are at risk of foreclosure following HUD’s illegal policy changes & sudden cuts to housing support. We & Jacobson Lawyers Group are fighting this injustice in a new lawsuit on behalf of National Urban League & 9 other nonprofits.

BREAKING: @democracydefendersfund.org & Jacobson Lawyers Group just sued HUD for 10 housing nonprofits Trump's HUD delayed their grants for months while they kept helping families facing foreclosure. Then it canceled $56M outright Unlawful & unkind in equal measure -- See you in court👇 -TN

Trump goes full-Orwell—using our tax dollars to run partisan propaganda ads. Congress has strict anti-propaganda clauses for a reason: to prevent "a government sponsored propaganda machine aimed at discrediting and neutralizing political opposition." Our team & @rwpusa.bsky.social dive in:

In June, SCOTUS confirmed the Constitution puts "the question of citizenship ‘once and forever [to] rest.'" But Trump is still trying to rewrite the Constitution and the 14th Amendment by executive fiat. We & partners just filed a lawsuit to challenge his latest attack on birthright citizenship.

The right to peacefully protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Counterterrorism expert @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social and DDF’s Allison Rice examine how the Trump administration's war on "domestic terror" threatens free speech, civil society, and First Amendment protections.

The Trump administration tried to use a government shutdown to fire federal workers. Unions fought back—and won. Under the new settlement, federal agencies can’t include mass firings in their shutdown plans. Proud to have fought alongside partners to stop this unlawful scheme.

We’re taking on Trump Media’s scheme to sell wealthy traders early access to the president’s market-moving posts. Today at 1 PM PT, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu will lay out the case against Truth API. Proud to fight alongside his office & WLG & Platkin LLP. Tune in live:

BREAKING: San Francisco is suing Trump Media over Truth Social’s scheme to sell wealthy trading firms early access to Trump’s market-moving posts. We’re proud to be fighting alongside the City Attorney & WLG & Platkin LLP to stop the monetization of public office—and protect a fair marketplace.

When we show up together and refuse to be silenced, we have the power to shape what happens next. #WeAreAmericaAndWeVote Check your registration and make a plan to vote. Find resources @ vote411.org

East Potomac Park was designated for “the recreation and pleasure of the people.” We’re back in court with @democracyforward.org & Abbe Lowell to challenge the administration’s ongoing actions at the historic park, including unlawful dumping of toxic debris.

Today, civil rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging the threatened use of ICE and federal law enforcement at polling places, arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act. We and our partners are proud to represent those standing up for every voter’s right to cast a ballot free from intimidation.

ICYMI: SCOTUS rejected Trump’s effort to impose new USPS restrictions on mail voting ahead of the midterms. Voting by mail remains safe, secure, and reliable. Your vote is your voice. Make a plan to vote. #GetReadyToVote

BREAKING: We’re suing the Department of Defense on behalf of The War Horse after the Pentagon refused to disclose how senior officials are using generative AI tools—including whether sensitive or classified information could be exposed. The American public deserves answers.

OMG! Supreme Court rebuffs Trump's attempt to break mail-in voting 7-2 We @democracydefendersfund.org were proud to file a brief in support of this outstanding outcome for LULAC & working with CLC Also a VERY important signal of how Trump's other election sabotage efforts will be treated

A big win for voters: A federal judge has blocked the USPS rule that would have injected chaos and confusion into mail voting and risked keeping eligible voters from having their ballots counted. We’re proud to have fought this EO alongside our partners @campaignlegal.org

BREAKING: Bipartisan ethics experts are calling for an immediate investigation into $155,000 cash gifts Trump gave to four White House aides. These payments raise serious questions about whether federal law was broken.