Demanding Accountability

Democracy Forward has launched numerous investigations into the Trump-Vance administration’s weaponization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and law enforcement to pursue personal political interests and seek retribution against its supposed enemies.

To shed light on these efforts, we have:

1. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit regarding the government’s handling and potential coverup surrounding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files, which has garnered extraordinary attention from the American public, Congress, and the press as the government has stonewalled releasing key files.
2. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit against the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and its Office of Inspector General to shed light on FHFA Director William J. Pulte, a stalwart Trump-Vance ally, who has made highly publicized and politicized “criminal referrals” to the DOJ against several prominent public officials, including U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Records released as a result of our suit revealed that the agency had acted inconsistent with the investigative safeguards of its own Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). In addition, records received by Democracy Forward through this investigation show that the administration’s criminal probe of U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell began after Pulte referred allegations by a conservative website to the FHFA-OIG and sent a referral to the DOJ himself.
3. Launched an investigation into the DOJ’s efforts to overhaul the Civil Rights Division – including by targeting and pushing out career civil servants and by reshaping the federal government’s role in our country’s elections with a new voting section head who has myriad ties to election deniers.
4. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shed light on public comments by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggesting that the agency could consider punitive action against broadcast entities if they continued to air commentary critical of the Trump-Vance administration – citing, as one public example, remarks made by television host Jimmy Kimmel.
5. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit regarding inappropriate communications by the U.S. Marshals Service with federal judges on pending cases related to the insurrection of January 6, 2021.

Since inauguration, the Trump-Vance administration has shown blatant disregard for the laws and norms intended to uphold ethics and integrity standards among government officials – including Trump himself. Indeed, when asked about limits to his power, Trump stated that he is restrained only by his “own morality.”

Nonetheless, we are working to shine light on the egregious ethical violations committed during this administration and have:

1. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to probe alarming reports that Trump is seeking $230 million in compensation from DOJ for damages from previous cases against him. The request raises grave ethical concerns for Trump personally and for personnel at the Department.
2. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit seeking a recording that reportedly captures now-White House Border Czar Tom Homan accepting a $50,000 cash payment from undercover FBI agents in September 2024 in exchange for promising to help the agents, posing as businessmen, gain contracts related to border security – shortly before joining the Trump-Vance administration. In litigation, the government has now asserted that they can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such recordings because of personal privacy interests under certain FOIA exemptions.
3. Launched an investigation into U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s public affairs shop funneling hundreds of millions of dollars for advertising campaigns regarding the southern border to firms tied to her personal friends.

The Trump-Vance administration has recklessly slashed federal funding for essential programs that serve millions of Americans. These haphazard cuts have posed devastating risks to communities that rely on federal funding for critical services such as housing, public health, education, and economic stability.

To shed light on these attempts, we have:

1. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit against the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to compel the release of records relating to the abrupt termination of more than $800 million in grants that support programs on violence prevention, crime victim services, and community safety.
2. Launched investigations into the impacts of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill and the record-breaking government shutdown on critical services, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Head Start.
3. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to shed light on cuts to the U.S. Department of Education’s research arm – the Institute of Education Sciences – and the cancellation of 89 contracts worth nearly $900 million.
4. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over Memorandum M-25-13, which directed agencies to pause or freeze nearly all federal financial assistance.

The Trump-Vance administration has waged an all-out assault on the federal government, from large-scale firings of thousands of federal employees to the termination of countless programs that serve the American people. Elon Musk’s so-called DOGE led the charge with these efforts in the first half of 2025, proudly wielding a “chainsaw” for “bureaucracy.” As Musk’s star waned following his public falling out with the president, the efforts to dismantle the government have centered on OMB and Director Russell Vought. The results have been catastrophic and far from transparent and efficient, as had been promised.

To shed light on these efforts, we have:

1. Launched an investigation into the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the first targets of federal spending cuts, even though the agency represents a fraction of one percent of the federal budget. We have since filed a lawsuit compelling the release of critical data and planning documents related to global efforts to combat HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, which have faltered following cuts to USAID.
2. Launched an investigation into the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and the transferring of functions assigned to it by Congress to other agencies in the federal government.
3. Launched an investigation into the destruction of the White House’s East Wing, seeking communications regarding the demolition, construction plans for the ballroom, environmental impact statement, communications with donors, and much more.
4. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit and a motion for rapid relief to compel the release of records pertaining to Agency Reduction-in-Force and Reorganization Plans.
5. Launched numerous investigations and filed lawsuits to compel agencies to release records regarding the use of artificial intelligence in executing the administration’s deregulation agenda, monitoring of employees, and targeting of visa holders. We’ve received documents including a “policy review playbook” from the General Services Administration (GSA) showing how the administration has directed agencies to rapidly employ AI to carry out its deregulatory agenda.
6. Launched numerous investigations to shed light on DOGE staffing, DOGE’s efforts to gain access to extremely sensitive data, and DOGE’s agreements with agencies.

Media reports have exposed a troubling pattern of Trump-Vance administration officials using non-governmental email accounts and disappearing messaging applications like Signal to conduct government business – including sharing highly sensitive or classified information on personal devices. These reckless communications and record-keeping practices by government officials may violate federal records laws and undermine the public’s right to a transparent and accountable government. Democracy Forward is investigating the use of ephemeral messaging and personal email accounts across the Trump-Vance administration.

To date, we have:

1. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to compel the production of documents related to the Trump-Vance administration’s efforts to disappear hundreds of people to prisons in
   El Salvador, including the notorious prison known as CECOT. One of Democracy Forward’s cases secured the release of the agreement with El Salvador that allowed these deportations to take place.
2. Launched an investigation into U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s messaging practices in light of Trump’s demand via a social media post that she prosecute public officials, including Senator Schiff, New York Attorney General James, and former FBI Director James Comey, along with other public officials.
3. Launched an investigation into DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon’s usage of text messages for key division priority communications with her subordinates.
4. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to shed light on former Acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin’s conduct and communications, including his usage of direct messages on social media platforms to conduct government business.

The administration relentlessly attacked diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives throughout its first year. These efforts ranged from the signing of executive orders to the weaponization of the agencies that historically have worked on these issues and the dismissal of career staff who worked on DEIA initiatives.

To shed light on these efforts, we have:

1. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to obtain records on the administration’s sweeping efforts to dismantle federal DEIA programs, including regarding the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) efforts to implement Trump’s executive order and eliminate all federal DEIA programs.
2. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to compel the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce (DOC) to release response data from sexual orientation and gender identity questions on the American Community Survey, which is used to ensure LGBTQ+ communities are accurately represented in federal policy.
3. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to shed light on the administration’s so-called “Anti-Christian Bias” taskforce that was charged with reviewing all federal departments and agencies for alleged “anti-Christian bias” and recommending actions for the president to help him “rectify past injustices of anti-Christian conduct.”

Under the Trump-Vance administration, DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have aggressively expanded immigration raids, causing terror and chaos in communities. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has told ICE agents to arrest migrants anywhere, including outside their workplaces and sanctuary locations like schools and places of worship, and while attempting to follow the law by attending their mandatory immigration court hearings. The administration’s actions have swept up children and students, including U.S. citizens who have been unlawfully deported.
Native American tribes, Puerto Rican neighborhoods, and other predominately
Latino communities have voiced concerns that their members are being racially profiled and unlawfully arrested. The administration has been utilizing novel technologies and forming new partnerships to pursue their agenda, while aggressively using media stunts to highlight the administration’s supposed successes, even when the content is highly misleading.

To shed light on these efforts, we have:

1. Launched an investigation into ICE and CBP actions in the state of Minnesota during “Operation Metro Surge,” including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officers.
2. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit seeking video footage of a raid that ICE conducted in October 2025 on a Chicago apartment building, reportedly detaining nearly all residents – including U.S. citizens – in violation of the residents’ constitutional rights. DHS published a video valorizing this action using numerous camera angles, indicating that it was a compilation of a substantial quantity of footage edited for public relations purposes.
3. Launched investigations into the usage of novel technologies for immigration surveillance purposes. Immigration agents have ramped up utilization of video surveillance, drones, and facial recognition applications to identify protestors or people ICE considers to be violent.
4. Launched investigations into instances of the Trump-Vance administration removing long-established safeguards put in place to protect people’s personal data to pursue its harmful immigration enforcement efforts.
5. Launched an investigation and filed a lawsuit to shed light on high-level coordination between DHS and ICE officials and individuals associated with America First Legal (AFL) – a far-right group co-founded by Stephen Miller – and on ICE’s controversial use of plainclothes and masked agents to carry out mass arrests while not providing identification.

The Trump-Vance administration has focused on perpetuating falsehoods about the 2020 election. As part of continued efforts to advance the “Big Lie,” the administration has sought sensitive voter roll data and agreements with states to require removing allegedly ineligible voters identified during a federal review of their voter rolls.

To shed light on these efforts, Democracy Forward has taken action in the following states:

1. Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Utah, Virginia: Launched an investigation into the federal government’s attempts to gain access to state voter rolls and to explore communications of select states with right-wing anti-voting organizations.
2. Colorado, Georgia, West Virginia: Launched an investigation into the activities of Heather Honey, election denialist turned Deputy Assistant Secretary for Election Integrity at DHS, who took part in a call with election officials from most states in September 2025. According to state officials on the call, Honey raised 2020 election denial concerns rather than focusing on securing safeguards for 2026’s midterm elections.
3. Colorado: Launched an investigation into reports that Jeff Small, a consultant and former Chief of Staff to Rep. Lauren Boebert, was reaching out on the behalf of the administration to election officials throughout Colorado seeking to examine election equipment.

To drive forward its hardline immigration agenda and increase capacity for detention given overcrowding at its facilities, the Trump-Vance administration partnered with states to build capacity.

We are conducting investigations to shed light on these issues:

1. Florida: Launched an investigation into the construction and operations of the so-called Alligator Alcatraz, a $450 million detention center built on an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades.
2. Indiana: Launched an investigation into the partnership between DHS and the state of Indiana to construct and operate a facility called the Speedway Slammer.
3. Nebraska: Launched an investigation into DHS’s partnership with Nebraska – dubbed “Cornhusker Clink” – to expand ICE detention space.

Across the country this year, devastating storms – from deadly flooding in Texas to catastrophic fires in southern California –
have shown the vital role our emergency response agencies serve. However, the Trump-Vance administration’s actions have heightened concerns about the future of emergency response and resilience, as they have reduced staffing and funding for these crucial emergency response services – even at times speculating about the shuttering of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) – when predictions indicate a growing need for these services.

To shed light on these issues, we have:

1. Launched an investigation into how the current administration’s inaction and delays impacted assistance efforts in responding to the flooding in Texas