If you've been watching events unfold this weekend, John, then you know what we're talking about. If not, here's an overview:

Elon Musk's team of private citizens gained access to the Treasury Department's classified payment system. Musk's "DOGE" team -- filled with non-federal employees and not a department created by Congress or presidential commission created legally -- is now reportedly "turning off" payments Congress approved, line by line. Reportedly the "engineers" accessing these systems are former Musk company interns.

Federal workers blockade the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). These workers spent the weekend protesting outside OPM after Musk's team accessed potentially classified data there as well. They reportedly blocked more "data miners" from "DOGE" from getting in the building and taking more information on hard drives.

Now Musk and Trump are trying to illegally shut down USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID was created by Congress in 1961 as a way for the United States to aid allies around the world. USAID employees were reportedly told to not come to work and USAID's grants around the world have apparently been turned off. Presidents can only be granted "reorganization authority"  to close or consolidate agencies by act of Congress, which was last granted to Ronald Reagan decades ago.

None of these things directly impact voting rights. But we're terrified by the implications of these sweeping and illegal actions -- likely just the tip of the iceberg -- so we're putting aside our plans for today to ask you to act. We all need to demand that Congress do their jobs, find out what's going on, walk down to these departments and knock on the door and demand answers.

Please: Call your member of Congress via the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or find their direct number for the House or Senate. Call their state offices if you don't get an answer in DC. Ask them if they support the President taking these actions and if Congress has given up separations of powers.

No one else can hold them accountable, so we must do the hard work of our democracy before too much harm is done.

Sincerely,

The Voter Action Project Team

Interested in supporting our work defending our fundamental right to vote? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Integrity First Voter Action Project is dedicated to expanding ballot access and increasing voter participation across the country.

Since the Supreme Court gutted key provisions in the Voting Rights Act, extreme politicians have taken advantage to pass harsh laws that restrict access to the ballot box. These restrictions particularly affect disadvantaged communities and people of color. It’s our goal to bring awareness to these laws wherever they may crop up and organize voters to take action to ensure the right to vote is available to everyone in their states and communities.

Your support is crucial to our efforts. Will you donate today to help us protect voting rights?

Contributions or gifts to Integrity First Voter Action Project are not tax deductible as charitable contributions or as business expenses under IRC Section 162(3). Integrity First Voter Action Project is organized and operates under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

A copy of Integrity First Voter Action Project's latest financial report may be obtained by mail at Integrity First Voter Action Project, c/o Mele Brengarth & Assoc, PO Box 15845, Washington, DC 20003.

Paid for by Integrity First Voter Action Project, www.voteractionproject.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Integrity First Voter Action Project
P.O. Box 19294
Portland, OR 97280
United States