Senate

Senate Democrats call for White House election security czar’s removal

Comments:

by Sarah Davis - 05/19/26 3:14 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Sarah Davis - 05/19/26 3:14 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

A group of Democratic senators are demanding that the White House fire its election security director, citing the time constraints of his temporary appointment to this role.

“The public record is clear that Mr. Kurt Olsen’s service as a special government employee (SGE) … has exceeded the legal limits for such appointments and, therefore, should come to an end immediately,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to White House officials on Monday.

President Trump appointed Olsen to oversee election security and integrity at the White House last October. The Democratic lawmakers noted that Olsen has now served in this role for over 200 days, exceeding the 130-day annual limit for SGEs.

“Thus, it is past time to end this temporary appointment or provide a full explanation of how his continued service is legally justified, including Mr. Olsen’s exact dates of service,” the senators wrote.

The letter, led by California Sen. Alex Padilla (D), was addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Presidential Personnel Office Director Dan Scavino and White House Counsel David Warrington.

A White House official told The Hill on Tuesday that Olsen is “actively an SGE.”

“President Trump’s entire exceptional team is in lockstep with the President and working together to prioritize election integrity,” the official said.

Democrats have previously opposed Olsen’s appointment to this role, citing his advancement of claims that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” The attorney was involved in the “Stop the Steal” effort after Trump lost to Biden in 2020.

Senate Democrats expressed “serious concern” about Olsen’s hiring in a letter to Wiles and Warrington last October and expressed concerns that he could try to persuade the president “to attempt a national emergency declaration to illegally claim unconstitutional federal powers over state and local election administration.”

“These concerns have been borne out,” the lawmakers wrote in their Monday letter, pointing to the FBI’s raid at an election center in Georgia and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s probe into voting machines used in Puerto Rico in 2024.

“To avoid further destabilizing — and potentially illegal — activities, Mr. Olsen should be immediately removed from his SGE role and the Administration should refrain from appointing him to any other federal position with any involvement in past or future elections,” the lawmakers wrote.

Add as preferred source on Google