Protect Democracy

NEW: Congress controls the country’s purse strings and that’s by design. We cover why and what happens when the Executive branch usurps that power. https://lnkd.in/e_57_p63

Recent punitive actions against retired General Mark Milley and Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan undermine civil-military relations and directly threaten the military’s apolitical integrity, write five former service secretaries and flag officers in Military.com https://lnkd.in/eMakUeXw Gen. Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been threatened with a reduction in rank, had his security detail pulled, and his portrait at the Pentagon taken down for speaking in defense of democratic norms; Adm. Fagan was abruptly fired from her position with dubious justification. Even more worrying are reports of a draft Executive Order that would create a panel of retired generals & admirals to review and potentially recommend the removal of serving generals and admirals based on their perceived loyalty to the current administration instead of the Constitution.

Trump is following the modern-day autocratic playbook to entrench his faction in office and make it difficult for voters to dislodge them. So, what do we do about it? Preserve electoral competition. Read how to understand and stop the Entrenchment Agenda: https://lnkd.in/eTzV-Pgj

Trump’s plans to dig in, cement power, and limit competition involves more than just government power. It’s also about harnessing the capabilities of modern tech. Nicole Schneidman and Dean Jackson explain:

NEW Dear Civil Servant — We provide some updates on federal employment matters; cover recent wins and newly-filed lawsuits that fight back against these illegal acts. Read and share: https://lnkd.in/efC5vunC

ICYMI: We sued to stop DOGE's illegal access to millions of Americans' private data. DOGE is doing exactly what the Privacy Act was designed to stop: political cronies breaking the law to snoop on vast amounts of Americans' data and try to use it to benefit themselves. https://lnkd.in/e-ZTBea3

Until Donald Trump, arguably the single-most scandalous episode for the modern presidency was Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre in 1973. Now we get a massacre every weekend. Here’s what to do about it:

❗ICYMI❗'DOGE' agents—handpicked Trump loyalists—are snooping through sensitive government records with no safeguards. The Privacy Act of 1974 was designed to prevent exactly this kind of abuse. We’re taking them to court. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eVdu_4P7

🚨BREAKING🚨: We're suing to stop DOGE's illegal access to millions of Americans' private data. DOGE is doing exactly what the Privacy Act was designed to stop: political cronies breaking the law to snoop on vast amounts of Americans' data and try to use it to benefit themselves. The numbers are staggering: unvetted DOGE minions have access to Treasury systems processing tax refunds, Social Security & veterans' benefits making up the private data of millions of Americans. And it’s a security nightmare: They're haphazardly feeding the data into unsecured external AI systems. Treasury's own threat analysis calls this 'the single greatest insider threat risk' they've ever faced. "No one should be fooled — they're not doing this for our benefit. Their goal is to snoop on Americans' data and use what they find to enrich themselves, reward allies & punish critics," said Kristy Parker, lead counsel on the case. For background on the case: https://lnkd.in/eEuj6j-4