President Donald Trump dismissed all members of the bipartisan United States Election Assistance Commission Thursday. New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was among the four commissioners dismissed.
In a statement, Toulouse Oliver called the move , "a complete dismantling of an independent, bipartisan commission that exists for the sole purposes of supporting secure elections and an informed electorate."
She went on to call the dismissal of the commissioners reckless and unwarranted. Toulouse Oliver worries that the end of the commission will further erode the public's trust in elections.
The Election Assistance Commission was first formed in 2002. Its members required approval from both chambers of Congress and the president. No more than two commissioners were allowed to belong to the same political party.
Toulouse Oliver said that despite the dismissal, she and her colleagues remain committed to ensuring elections are safe and secure.
New Mexico's Raul Torrez is one of 12 state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit challenging the proposed acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The merger would cost Paramount 110 billion dollars and see 2 of Hollywood's 5 major film studios consolidate.
Torrez said in a statement that the merger would harm New Mexico's film industry and ultimately, audiences nationwide. Torrez said he's pursuing this legal action to protect New Mexico's film workers.
If the merger goes through, the new company would control nearly one-third of theatrical motion pictures, and nearly one-third of basic cable programming. But federal regulators and Paramount say that looking at the merger through a Hollywood-only lens is too narrow. The point to competition from streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
