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Saturday, May 31, 2025
Sweeping wins across Oregon!
Important Saturday Message
Important Saturday MessageThis is why I started doing this workTonight I’m feeling nostalgic. I was going through some old photos and came across one that stopped me in my tracks: a picture of 12-year-old me, eyes locked on the TV, watching the Casey Anthony trial. It might sound strange, but that was the first time I remember truly understanding the power of advocacy. Back then, I told my dad I wanted to be a lawyer. I didn’t really know what that meant, but he sat with me for the opening statements and encouraged me to watch the rest. And I did—every single moment. That trial lit something in me, and if you're reading this, maybe it's because you’ve felt something similar—like the pull toward purpose. If that resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to this work. It’s how I keep telling these stories. That moment planted a seed. I couldn’t stop thinking about the people who couldn’t speak for themselves, about the little girl at the center of that case, Caylee Anthony. I knew—deep down—that I wanted to fight for people like her. That was the spark. So I ran with it. I started college when I was 14. Law school at 18. I fast-tracked everything because I had a purpose. I wanted to speak truth to power, to advocate when no one else would. Today, I’m not standing in a courtroom. I’m not cross-examining witnesses or delivering closing arguments. But make no mistake—I’m still advocating. Just on a different battlefield: the internet, the press, and the public square. I’m telling the stories the media won’t. Not because they aren’t true. But because they’re inconvenient. Let’s cut through the noise: the mainstream media doesn’t want me here. Not because I’ve lied. Not because I’ve twisted facts. But because I refuse to play by their rules. I don’t take marching orders from network executives. I don’t tailor my reporting to corporate advertisers. I’m not here to say what’s safe. I’m here to say what’s true. And that’s a problem—for them. They want me gone. Silenced. Drowned out by the same polished punditry and choreographed talking points that dominate cable news. They think I’ll burn out. That I can’t survive without a billionaire backer or a rooftop D.C. office. But here’s the truth: I don’t need them. I have this platform, my independence, and you. If you’re tired of journalism that caters to sponsors instead of citizens… if you’re tired of stories curated for clickbait instead of clarity… if you still believe in the idea that the press should serve the people and not the powerful—this is your space. This is what we’re building. Together. Because while the D.C. news cycle obsesses over Biden’s gaffes and palace intrigue, they’re missing the real story: Donald Trump and his allies are laying the groundwork to sideline the Supreme Court, strip away First Amendment protections, and turn the executive branch into a personal weapon. They’re not hiding it. They’re broadcasting it. And yet, the media shrugs. Why? Because that narrative isn’t profitable. It isn’t polished. It threatens the status quo. So instead, they chase spectacle. They run cover. They look the other way. Not here. Here, we follow the facts—even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it’s dangerous. Especially then. But I can’t do it alone. I don’t have a multimillion-dollar deal with a pharmaceutical giant. I don’t have a hedge fund-funded newsroom. What I have is you—and your willingness to support independent journalism that refuses to bend. Your subscription isn’t a tip. It’s fuel. It’s how this work continues. It’s how we push back against the narrative machine and carve out a space for truth. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I’m trying to bring back something we lost: honest, unflinching journalism that values the public over the powerful. A modern-day version of the Cronkite era—where the news wasn’t about clicks, but clarity. If you believe in that, now is the time to act. Don’t wait until the next scandal is too big to ignore. Don’t wait until it’s too late to fight back. Subscribe. Share. Stay loud. Because if we don’t tell the truth, they’ll rewrite it. — Aaron |
Don Bacon is vulnerable
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It’s Denise Powell. I’m the Democrat running to flip NE-02 from red to blue, and my opponent Don Bacon was just named the 5th most vulnerable Republican in Congress. National Republicans are prepared to spend millions of dollars to bail Bacon out because they know we can flip this seat. After all, Don Bacon only won by less than two points last cycle. In fact, NE-02 is one of the few districts where both Kamala Harris and a Republican Congressman won. He’s vulnerable and everyone knows it. If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation split between Denise Powell and Democratic Values will go through immediately: Thank you. |
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really quick
Hey, it’s Maxwell. I just wanted to reach out with a quick update before the end of the night.
We’re only $1,043 short of our May End of Month goal. I just pulled out my phone and did the math, and that means I only need 149 more supporters to chip in $7.
We’re so close! I know we can get there, but we only have 4 more hours until my midnight deadline. So please, can you chip in just $7 before the end of the night?
Here’s a link where you can make a donation. I’ll be keeping an eye out for yours! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/maf-em-pge?refcode=20250531_em_fr_b1_followup_cl-rs&amount=7
Really grateful for your support,
Maxwell
Sent from my iPhone
PAID FOR BY MAXWELL FROST FOR CONGRESS
Maxwell Frost for Congress
PO Box 772671
Orlando, FL 32877-2671
United States
we believe this to our core
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC CITIZEN AND SUBSCRIBE
TO THEIR NEWSLETTER THAT'S FACT BASED WITH IPRESSIVE DETAIL!
THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING WITH THOROUGH RESEARCH AND DETAIL!
Public Citizen has filed 15 lawsuits — so far — against the administration since Donald Trump returned to power. (Which was just a little over four months ago, though it sure can feel like a lot more than that at times.)
Read on for a recap of what each lawsuit is about and its current status. There are a few we haven’t even emailed you about yet, so we’ll start with the most recent and work back from there.
One note: The federal government comprises many departments and agencies with long names whose acronyms can look like a bowl of alphabet soup. Some we’ve all heard of, like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Some aren’t quite as well known, like the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CISOMB). Don’t get too hung up on all the terminology.
What it comes down to is that the Trump regime is unilaterally, unconstitutionally, and unlawfully dismantling the federal government — our government — from Cabinet-level departments that have their own stately buildings here in Washington, D.C., to obscure sub-agencies that go largely unnoticed as they do the routine, unheralded work that makes for a functioning country.
Public Citizen is doing everything we can — within our modest means — to fight back at every turn. It’s David and Goliath for sure, but we will never back down.
15. Suing to Maintain an Independent Consumer Product Safety Commission
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does pretty much what its name suggests. It conducts product-safety research, sets standards, and issues recalls. Under federal law, the agency has five commissioners who serve staggered seven-year terms. To ensure the CPSC’s independence, Congress stipulated that commissioners can be removed by the president prior to the end of their terms only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.”
However — with no explanation and no suggestion of neglect of duty or malfeasance — Trump has illegally attempted to terminate three CPSC commissioners whose terms are not complete. On May 21 — representing those commissioners — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court challenging the terminations as unlawful and outside the president’s constitutional and statutory authority.
We are seeking an expedited ruling in the case to have the commissioners restored to their roles so they can continue their critical work on behalf of American consumers.
14. Suing to Preserve the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Somewhat under the radar, the regime has been dismantling the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Housed within the Department of Health and Human Services — now under the “leadership” of MAGA convert Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — NIOSH is the country’s premier authority on occupational safety and health, protecting workers in high-risk industries like mining, firefighting, construction, and healthcare.
Among other things, NIOSH screens miners for black lung disease, provides medical monitoring to September 11 first responders, and evaluates the safety of worksite protective gear (including certifying respirators like the N95 masks that were so essential throughout the COVID-19 pandemic).
Since Trump’s inauguration, roughly 85% of NIOSH’s staff has been fired, slated for termination, or otherwise forced out. With NIOSH so weakened, workers throughout the country who otherwise would have been safe will get sick, hurt, and killed on the job. (Following coverage of these cuts, a small portion of the employees have been called back to work.)
On May 14 — in partnership with AFL-CIO attorneys and representing numerous unions — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to block the Trump regime’s illegal shutdown of NIOSH. Our lawsuit seeks an order for the administration to immediately resume the many activities the law requires NIOSH to perform.
13. Suing to Defend Oversight Offices at the Department of Homeland Security
When Congress created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2002, it established within the new department an Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) to make sure DHS respected those foundational freedoms. Congress also established an Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CISOMB) within DHS to help immigrants who experienced problems dealing with department bureaucracy. And, in response to abuses reported during the first Trump administration, Congress established an Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) within DHS to monitor conditions in detention facilities.
On March 21, DHS announced its intention to close all three of these oversight offices and fire nearly all of the employees. On April 24, Public Citizen — representing several organizations that work with immigrants and people living near the US-Mexico border — sued DHS and Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (self-professed dog killer) over the unlawful attempt to shutter the three oversight offices created and funded by Congress.
After several court hearings, the judge denied our motion for a temporary restraining order in light of the administration promising to post public notices indicating that the offices remained open and would continue performing their statutory functions. Our motion for a preliminary injunction is still pending.
12. Suing to Block “DOGE” from Ending International Labor Rights Programs
For decades, Congress has authorized funding for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) within the Department of Labor. ILAB protects workers and businesses in the United States from unfair competition on the part of companies and governments that violate workers’ rights to free association and collective bargaining, that use forced labor or child labor, or that otherwise violate labor rights to gain an unfair advantage in the global marketplace.
In March, the Trump administration terminated all of ILAB’s cooperative agreements in one fell swoop. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) being run by Elon Musk made clear that the regime would not spend the funds that Congress specifically appropriated to combat unfair labor practices and to support workers’ rights abroad.
On April 15 — representing several impacted organizations — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to block the administration’s abrupt and unlawful bulk termination of ILAB’s programs. We then filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and are now waiting for the judge’s decision.
11. Suing to Restore Environmental Tools Scrubbed from Federal Websites
Shortly after the Trump regime took over in January, it started removing essential information about climate change and environmental justice from the websites of various agencies — including the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The deleted pages were key to explaining how communities around the country are harmed by or benefit from energy, environmental, and transportation policies. The pages supported work examining how pollution affects disadvantaged communities, supplied a means by which community advocates can explain environmental harms, and provided the foundation for public participation in regulatory and legislative processes.
On April 14 — on behalf of the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and others — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court challenging the removal of numerous interactive pages related to climate change and environmental justice from publicly accessible, and taxpayer-funded, government websites. On May 16, we filed a motion for a preliminary injunction.
10. Suing to Stop Project 2025 Architect from Hiding How Administration Allocates Funds
Trump put a man named Russell Vought — a self-avowed “Christian nationalist” and one of the primary architects of the Project 2025 manifesto that is essentially an authoritarian playbook for the Trump regime — in charge of the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
One of the many things OMB is responsible for is “apportionment” decisions — legally binding budget decisions that specify the federal funds that an agency may spend and any conditions on the agency’s expenditure of those funds. By law, OMB is required to post information about its apportionments on a publicly accessible website. But, in late March, OMB took down its Public Apportionments Database and told Congress that it will stop maintaining the database altogether.
On April 8 — representing Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court challenging OMB’s removal of the Public Apportionments Database from its website. On April 18, we moved for a preliminary injunction and partial summary judgment in the case. The court promptly held a hearing, and we are now waiting for its decision.
9. Suing to Save the Institute of Education Sciences
In 2002, Congress established the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a semi-independent division of the Department of Education. By conducting, supporting, and disseminating high-quality, evidence-based research, IES has been the cornerstone of research on education in America for over 20 years.
In February, the Department of Education — now being run by billionaire former professional wrestling magnate and MAGA extremist Linda McMahon — began dismantling IES by cancelling dozens of contracts for research studies and support services vital to the agency’s functioning. In March, roughly 90% of IES employees were notified that they would be terminated.
On April 4 — representing education researchers, practitioners, and organizations — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court challenging the administration’s illegal attempt to shut down IES. On May 16, the court held a hearing on our motion for a preliminary injunction.
8. Suing to Prevent the IRS from Illegally Sharing Taxpayer Data with DHS and ICE
Like other workers, undocumented workers are required to pay income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is legally required to treat their tax records, like those of every other taxpayer, as private and confidential — unless disclosure is specifically allowed by law. No law permits the IRS to disclose tax records for immigration enforcement purposes. But the Trump regime wants to access tax data — including names, current addresses, and information about dependents — to support its mass deportation agenda.
This is not just about the rights of undocumented workers. Congress enacted taxpayer privacy laws in response to misuse of IRS records during the presidency of Richard Nixon. If the Trump regime is allowed to carry out this particular invasion of taxpayer privacy — in flagrant violation of the law — it won’t stop there. Before you know it, millions and millions of Americans could be subject to illegal invasions of privacy and government surveillance. It’s a page right out of the authoritarian playbook.
On March 7 — with co-counsel and on behalf of immigrant rights organizations — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to prevent the IRS from engaging in the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information for purposes of immigration enforcement. On March 14, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. And on March 31, we filed a motion for preliminary injunction to prevent the IRS from sharing taxpayer information with DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Our motion for a preliminary injunction was denied. The court held that the law allows the IRS to share some taxpayer information with ICE solely to support criminal investigations and that the IRS said that was all it was doing. The court also indicated that sharing information for civil immigration enforcement would not be permissible. We then appealed the denial of the motion.
7. Suing to Protect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
In 2008, Wall Street’s reckless greed set off a worldwide financial crisis. In response, Congress — exercising its constitutional authority to regulate commerce — established a new federal agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), to protect the American people from wrong or unfair conduct by Big Banks and other giant financial institutions. Public Citizen played a major role in the creation of the CFPB, which has recovered billions for everyday Americans and helped create a fairer, more transparent financial marketplace.
While Trump has openly declared his intent to “totally eliminate” the CFPB, the administration cannot lawfully dismantle a federal agency created by statute. Any attempt to do so is in defiance of the Constitution’s separation of powers.
On February 13, Public Citizen and co-counsel filed suit in federal court to block the administration’s illegal and unconstitutional attempt to dismantle the CFPB. On February 14, the judge barred the administration from firing employees or sending out reduction in force notices, from destroying CFPB data or records, and from defunding the agency while the case proceeds.
At a March hearing, lawyers were able to cross-examine current and former CFPB officials and employees, who made plain that the administration had planned, illegally, to eliminate the agency altogether. In a 115-page decision, the court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction, barring the administration from taking steps to destroy the agency. We are now waiting for the court of appeals to rule.
6. Suing to Block Trump’s Illegal and Inhumane Foreign Aid Freeze
On his very first day back in office, Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to freeze foreign assistance that supports humanitarian efforts worldwide.
On February 10, Public Citizen filed suit in federal court on behalf of two organizations — AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Journalism Development Network — that receive federal grants for humanitarian work. On February 12, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to allow aid groups funded by the U.S. to resume work while the case proceeds. The judge issued a temporary restraining order on February 13.
On February 26, with the administration so far having failed to comply with the order, the judge ordered it to release funds by midnight that day for work performed before the freeze went into effect. Instead, the administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn the judge’s order and excuse its noncompliance.
On March 5, the Supreme Court rejected the administration’s request to excuse its noncompliance with the judge’s order requiring payment of completed work. On March 6, Public Citizen lawyers were back in court arguing for a preliminary injunction requiring the administration to allow work, and funding for that work, to resume while the case proceeds. The court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction in part.
On May 2, we amended the lawsuit to include an additional plaintiff, the Center for Victims of Torture. And we asked the court to order reinstatement of the over 80% of foreign assistance funding that had been cancelled. Meanwhile, the administration’s appeal of the preliminary injunction order is pending.
One other point worth making in relation to this case: Polls reveal that Americans tend to think foreign aid accounts for 25% or even 50% of all federal spending and that they would prefer it to be something like 10% instead. In reality, only about 1% of the federal budget — just one penny out of every dollar — goes to foreign aid. With that relatively modest expenditure, American aid helps millions and millions of people all across the world who are facing disease, famine, illness, malnutrition, and oppression.
5. Suing to Keep “DOGE” out of the Department of Education
DOGE operatives infiltrated Department of Education databases that include financial information of thousands of student-loan applicants and their families.
On February 7, Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to block DOGE from accessing these databases. On February 18, the judge denied our motion for a temporary restraining order. We later dismissed the case.
4. Suing to Preserve the U.S. Agency for International Development
Shortly after returning to power, Trump tried to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — in clear disregard for the law and the Constitution. Elon Musk later bragged that he had spent a weekend “feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
Established by Congress in 1961 — when John F. Kennedy was president — USAID provides life-saving food, medicine, and support to much of the rest of the world. In January, though, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio illegally ordered USAID workers to stop doing their jobs, froze the agency’s funding, and prepared to lay off or fire nearly all employees. With USAID in disarray, medical clinics, soup kitchens, refugee assistance programs, and countless other critical projects across the globe could not operate.
On February 6 — with co-counsel at Democracy Forward and representing two federal worker unions — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to stop Trump from carrying out this global humanitarian nightmare. We initially got a temporary restraining order, but the judge later lifted it, allowing the administration to terminate the majority of USAID’s employees. We subsequently added Oxfam America as an additional plaintiff and filed a motion for summary judgment, which is still pending.
3. Suing to Restore Critical Health Information Deleted from Government Websites
Under the “leadership” of MAGA sycophants installed by Trump, many federal agencies — including essential public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — recklessly removed important information and data from their websites.
The CDC and FDA wiped from their websites vital information that doctors and researchers all across the country were using to treat patients, monitor diseases, advance medical discoveries, and save lives. For example, the CDC scrubbed information about school bullying, contraception, and preventing the spread of HIV. The FDA deleted pages about increasing female enrollment in clinical trials. In some instances, information that had been publicly available going back to the 1990s had vanished.
On February 4 — on behalf of Doctors for America — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to reverse the unlawful deletion of critical health information from government websites. Two days later, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, which the court granted on February 11, requiring the administration to restore the deleted webpages and datasets while the case proceeds.
On March 11, we filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and summary judgment in the case. That motion is still pending before the judge.
2. Suing to Limit “DOGE” Infiltration of the Treasury Department
The U.S. Treasury Department possesses sensitive personal and financial information for millions and millions of Americans who send money to or receive money from the federal government. Federal laws protect such information from improper disclosure and misuse — including by barring disclosure to individuals who lack a lawful and legitimate need for it. But instead of protecting Americans’ private information as required by law, Scott Bessent — Trump’s jillionaire Treasury Secretary — allowed DOGE access to the data.
On February 3 — representing the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union, with co-counsel at Democracy Defenders Fund — Public Citizen filed suit in federal court to stop Trump’s Treasury Department from illegally sharing Americans’ information with DOGE in violation of the federal Privacy Act.
We filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on February 5. The next day, the court issued an interim order preventing Elon Musk and any of his DOGE operatives from accessing the Treasury data while the case proceeds. On March 7, the court denied our motion for a preliminary injunction, relying on administration promises not to engage in the misconduct we warned about. We have since filed a motion for summary judgment in the case.
1. Suing over Failure of “DOGE” to Comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act
Within minutes of Trump taking office on January 20, Public Citizen — joined by the American Federation of Government Employees and Democracy Defenders Fund — filed suit in federal court alleging that Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was not complying with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. That law requires federal advisory committees to consist of members with a fair balance of viewpoints, to make meetings open to the public, and to make records and work product available to the public.
The case was later consolidated with two similar cases that were filed soon afterward. With DOGE mutating into something much more than an advisory committee, we voluntarily dismissed the case in early March.
OK, that was a lot. Here’s a far shorter version:
Together, we have — at least for now — saved the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from complete destruction. We have limited the damage that Elon Musk’s “DOGE” operatives were able to do in various departments. We have helped keep thousands of people in critical jobs throughout the federal government. We have helped restore essential health and environmental information that the regime tried to scrub from public websites. And much more.
Even where we haven’t (yet) notched definitive victories in court, we are slowing down the regime and making it work a lot harder in pursuit of its desire for absolute power.
Are these lawsuits alone enough to fully defeat Trump and MAGA? Of course not. But are they a meaningful part of the pushback that is the only chance we have to collectively save our country? No doubt about it.
What you and Public Citizen are doing together matters. What hundreds of other organizations, big and small, are doing matters. What millions upon millions of our fellow Americans are doing matters. We believe that to our core. We take solace in that. And we draw inspiration from that. We hope you do, too.
If you can, please donate today to support Public Citizen’s work standing up to the Trump regime.
Anything you can chip in — $5 or $25, $50 or $100, $500 or even more — will help at such a critical moment.
Or join our popular Monthly Giving program (if you haven’t already) to help make sure we have the ongoing financial resources to fight Trump day after day after day.
If you’ve donated to Public Citizen already, thank you. If a donation is not right, we understand. Either way, thank you for being part of Public Citizen.
For progress,
- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
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