BREAKING: We’ve filed an amicus brief challenging Trump’s illegal tariffs The administration’s misuse of emergency powers to impose “reciprocal” tariffs is the most extreme grab of trade authority in U.S. history Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/10.27.25...

Forcing a political opponent into court on sham charges is straight out of the authoritarian playbook Trump is tearing down the rule of law just like he’s tearing down the East Wing Read my statement on the unjust prosecution of AG Letitia James👇 www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/10.24.25...

Join us on 10/27 for The Status of Birthright Citizenship, a webinar w/ @asianlawcaucus.org @aclu.org @legaldefensefund.bsky.social Trump’s exec order denying citizenship to some U.S.-born children is blocked for now, but the fight continues in Barbara v. Trump Link HERE: bit.ly/brc-webinar10-27

NEW: We have filed have expanded our lawsuit against the Trump admin over illegal firings of fed workers during the shutdown Firing civil servants as political retribution violates the law We w/ our union colleagues are holding them accountable Read HERE:

BREAKING: DDF has filed a formal complaint urging an investigation into WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s possible Hatch Act violation Leavitt used her official role to launch a partisan attack on NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani just weeks before the election Read HERE:

*Important to note, the judges on the panel are Bush, Obama, and Trump appointees. Upholding the rule of law is not—nor should it be—a partisan issue.

Corruption—even in plain sight—is never acceptable. It normalizes abuse of power and erodes trust. DDF's @normeisen.bsky.social & Virginia Canter expose how public power is abused for private gain in Chasing Trump’s Billions. Watch via @abcaustralia.bsky.social 👇 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Once a crypto skeptic, Trump is now an industry ally, and he's personally cashing in “This money is undoubtedly influencing his official activity,” says DDF’s Virginia Canter Watch her full comments on Chasing Trump’s Billions via @abcaustralia.bsky.social👇 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Louisiana v. Callais, a case that will determine whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains a tool that allows communities to challenge racial discrimination in voting. Following is a statement from DDF's Tianna Mays & Pooja Chaudhuri:

Right now, The Supreme Court is hearing a case that would prohibit lawmakers from using race as a factor when drawing voting maps. Simply put, fair representation for all Americans is at risk. Tianna Mays & Pooja Chaudhuri analyze this troubling threat to the Voting Rights Act.

Today, SCOTUS hears Louisiana v. Callais—a case that could weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and allow racial gerrymandering to go unchecked The Court has a chance to protect the right to equal representation DDF’s Tianna & Pooja explain 👇 contrarian.substack.com/p/all-roads-...

Trump’s DOJ indictments of James & Comey are retaliatory & baseless Our Exec Chair & Founder Norm Eisen & Anticorruption & Ethics Chief Counsel Virginia Canter joined former Bush WH lawyer Richard Painter in filing formal ethics complaints Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/10.14.25...

NEW in @chicagotribune.com: Masked ICE arrests are unlawful & undemocratic Craig Becker, Managing Counsel of Affirmative Litigation at DDF, explains why these faceless raids violate the Constitution & threaten basic civil liberties The courts must act 👇 www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/14/o...

TODAY: The Trump admin is using law enforcement for political revenge. Join Not Above the Law & DDF Senior Advisor @katiephang.bsky.social at 1PM ET as they unveil a report on this dangerous abuse of power RSVP: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The law requires that furloughed federal workers be paid Now the administration is signaling it may not follow through & 34,000+ IRS workers are caught in the middle We joined our labor partners AFGE & @afscme.bsky.social to demand accountability from OMB Read HERE:

NEW: We along w/ AFGE & @afscme.bsky.social are demanding OMB uphold the law and guarantee back pay for furloughed federal workers Withholding it would be illegal and cruel. These workers are not political pawns & they deserve every dollar they’re owed. Read HERE:

At today’s Senate hearing, AG Bondi was asked to explain reports that officials were told to flag any mentions of Trump in the Epstein files. Her answer? "not going to discuss anything about that with you.” The public deserves transparency That’s why DDF has sued the DOJ for these records

BREAKING: Major victory for democracy and the rule of law. A federal court has blocked Trump’s illegal attempt to fire members of Puerto Rico’s Oversight Board. The judge ruled the firings violated the Constitution. This is a crucial check on executive overreach. Read HERE:

In response to a federal appeals court decision upholding the block on Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order, Tianna Mays, legal director of Democracy Defenders Fund, issued the following statement:

Today DDF filed a second letter with the GAO, expanding our call for an investigation into whether federal agencies violated the law by publishing partisan messages during the shutdown. Following is a statement from Virginia Canter, chief counsel and director of ethics and anti-corruption at DDF 👇

BREAKING: DDF is calling for a GAO investigation into HUD’s unlawful use of its website to spread partisan attacks—blaming the “Radical Left” for the government shutdown. This isn’t public service. It’s propaganda funded by taxpayers. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/10.1.25-...

BREAKING: 3,700+ nonprofits, including civil rights, religious, and public service groups, are condemning Trump’s illegal attacks on civil society This is a coordinated assault on free speech and dissent We’re proud to stand with them Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/10.1.25-pr

BREAKING: The Trump admin is threatening mass firings of federal workers during their own shutdown That’s illegal That’s why we’re in court with AFGE & @afscme.bsky.social to stop it Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/9.30.25-pr

BREAKING: DDF and top ethics experts are demanding full investigations into prosecutorial abuse by Trump-appointed U.S. Atty Lindsey Halligan following the indictment of James Comey DOJ must not be turned into a weapon for furthering the president’s personal grievances. Read HERE:

A broad coalition of democracy and media freedom advocates, educators, & shareholders has demanded answers from Disney about the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Pulling Kimmel was a mistake that betrayed free speech & democracy We joined RSF and @aft.org to demand release of internal docs Read HERE:

In response to yesterday’s indictment by the Trump administration of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, released the following statement:

BREAKING: House members are calling on DOJ & FBI to release tapes of Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan allegedly pocketing $50K in bribes. DOJ prosecutors were reportedly preparing 4 charges—until the case was shut down. We need transparency. Read HERE:

NEW: We are proud to rep 3 members of Puerto Rico’s Financial Management and Oversight Board suing Trump & challenging their firing The suit warns: If the President can ignore Congress’s limits on territorial governance, he can do it anywhere. Read HERE:

BREAKING: DDF calls for an investigation into whether senior White House advisor Steven Witkoff violated federal law by allegedly offering NYC Mayor Eric Adams a U.S. ambassadorship to abandon his reelection campaign Dangling govt. appointments to influence an election is illegal Read HERE:

BREAKING: 3 members of Puerto Rico’s Federal Oversight and Management Board are suing the Trump admin over their unlawful firing. The lawsuit argues the President violated the U.S. Constitution by removing them w/o cause The President can’t hijack an independent board Read HERE:

MAJOR Ruling: A federal court confirms the Trump admin’s mass firings were an illegal, politically motivated purge. We’ll continue standing with our coalition partners to seek justice for the public servants who were wrongfully terminated. Read our coalition statement HERE:

BREAKING: DOJ is playing games with already public documents, shielding the powerful and betraying survivors. We’ve expanded our lawsuit to demand full release of the Trump-Epstein files. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/9.12.25-pr

“We took Trump at his word when he said he’d be a dictator on day one.” At @captimes.com Idea Fest, The Contrarian EIC Jennifer Rubin & DDF Exec Chair Norm Eisen shared how they’re countering authoritarianism with truth, legal action & journalism that won’t bend the knee. Read HERE:

Following is a joint statement by Abbe David Lowell of Lowell & Associates, and Norm Eisen, exec chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, regarding U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb’s Tuesday decision that blocks President Trump from removing Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors:

TODAY: DDF asks DOJ to investigate Apple CEO Tim Cook’s potentially unlawful gift of a 24K-Gold brick to Trump, given just minutes before Trump granted Apple billions in tariff relief. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/9.4.25-pr

The fight for the full release of the Epstein files is a fight for truth—and for the survivors who’ve waited too long. We @democracydefendersfund.org are leading the charge to hold those in power accountable. As reported in @thehill.com, transparency is essential for justice.

BREAKING: Victory for AmeriCorps grantees—funding withheld by the Trump-Vance admin has been restored after lawsuits from DDF & partners. A major win for national service & the communities they serve. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/9.2.25_2...

Featured in @theatlantic.com: Democracy Defenders Fund is leading the charge in key legal battles, pushing for transparency and accountability in the face of Trump’s overreach. From fighting cuts to essential programs to exposing corruption, we’re pushing for justice. Read the full article HERE:

BREAKING: We have sent a letter to the GAO calling for immediate legal action to stop Trump from withholding $4.9B in foreign aid. The President is required to spend these funds as Congress instructed & his refusal is unlawful. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/9.2.25.-pr

The labor movement has long fought for better wages, safer workplaces, and dignity on the job for all workers That’s why it’s under attack. And that’s why Democracy Defenders Fund defends it. This Labor Day, we stand with unions in the fight for democracy & economic justice.

BREAKING: A bipartisan group of former federal officials—represented by Democracy Defenders Fund—filed an amicus brief opposing Trump’s order stripping 2/3 of federal employees of their union rights. Retaliation disguised as national security is a threat to democracy. Read HERE:

BREAKING: We are suing the DOJ after their refusal to release critical Trump-Epstein files. Trump’s refusal to release the files he promised to make public is a direct blow to the trust Americans place in their gov't’s ability to be accountable We are demanding transparency & justice. Read HERE:

Following is a joint statement by Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, and Susan Corke, executive director of Democracy Defenders Fund regarding the FBI raid of former National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton’s home:

BREAKING: Federal court finds Alina Habba unlawfully serving as U.S. Attorney for NJ, condemning Trump’s effort to install political allies without Senate confirmation. DOJ must uphold the rule of law and restore proper leadership immediately. Read HERE:

BREAKING: A coalition of AmeriCorps grantees, service commissions, service members, and the AmeriCorps Employees Union have expanded a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging its attempts to dismantle the agency. Read more HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/8.19.25-pr

BREAKING: A federal court has certified a nationwide class in the lawsuit challenging Elon Musk & Trump’s unlawful shutdown of USAID — a major step toward accountability for the thousands affected by the agency’s dismantling. Read HERE: www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/8.18.25-pr

Following AG Brian Schwalb's lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Norm Eisen, Executive Chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, released the following statement:

FOLLOW-UP: The New York Times reports on calls to investigate Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent for failing to divest from crypto, private equity, and other financial interests—raising serious ethics & conflict-of-interest concerns We and @campaignlegal.org are calling for an investigation Read HERE:

BREAKING: Ethics watchdogs are demanding federal probes into Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent for potential ethics violations Over 100 days after a legal deadline, Bessent failed to prove he divested from crypto, private equity, and other assets—despite promises made under oath. Read our complaint HERE

"Donald Trump’s administration gave Musk a blank check to tear down the basic machinery of government…But the law is clear, and no president or billionaire can ignore it. We look forward to achieving accountability through the courts.” - Norm Eisen, Executive Chair, DDF