A bloc of Democratic lawmakers, headed by Senator Alex Padilla, has formally requested that the White House either terminate Kurt Olsen’s service as an election security official or provide a legal justification for why he remains in that role. In a letter sent to the White House on Monday, the senators said Olsen’s tenure as a special government employee may have gone beyond the statutory limit for such appointments, according to a copy of the letter.
Under U.S. law, special government employees are limited to 130 days of service in any 365-day period. The senators assert that Olsen was designated a special government employee in October, which they say would put him over that limit. The letter was initiated by Padilla, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, and includes signatures from other senators involved in an election security task force that focuses on threats to upcoming elections. Among the co-signers is Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from lawmakers about the letter or about Olsen’s status.
Olsen, a Washington attorney, has a history of involvement with efforts contesting the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. He was part of the "Stop the Steal" movement after former President Trump lost the race to Joe Biden. The letter and related reporting note that Olsen and several of Mr. Trump’s former lawyers have repeatedly asserted that the 2020 election was "stolen" from Trump, a claim that courts have rejected in repeated rulings.
Last year, Mr. Trump again tapped Olsen for a role aimed at demonstrating that he had won the 2020 election and that foreign actors had interfered with U.S. voting machines. Olsen began working with the administration as early as February 2025 and has been connected to efforts to find evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 contest, including urging a U.S. intelligence contractor to pursue such evidence.
The senators’ letter also highlights Olsen’s reported involvement in the collection or seizure of voting machines and related materials in Georgia, Puerto Rico and Arizona. That activity has raised concerns on Capitol Hill about whether the White House is attempting to expand the federal government’s role in how elections are conducted.
Those concerns have been sharpened by an executive order the president signed in March of 2025. The order set a framework for a broader federal role in the voting process, calling on states to share voter data with the federal government and directing that voting machines be decertified in 36 states. Inside the White House, Olsen holds a title that gives him responsibility for overseeing how the administration implements that executive order.
Padilla, in an interview on Monday, said that members of the group had previously raised objections to Olsen’s appointment as a special government employee and that his conduct in seizing voting machines had intensified questions about federal involvement in state-run elections. "If there’s a role for the federal government, it’s from Congress, not the executive branch, to help determine the time, place, and manner of elections. Not the president," Padilla said. "But (Trump) continues to claim otherwise and people like Kurt Olsen are enabling that conspiratorial thinking."
The letter seeks clarity on whether Olsen’s continued service is legally permissible under the restrictions that apply to special government employees and asks the White House to either remove him or explain how his work is justified. The senators are asking the administration to respond to those questions as they consider potential implications for election oversight and security ahead of upcoming contests.
Key points
- Senator Alex Padilla led a group of Democratic senators in sending a letter to the White House asking for the removal of Kurt Olsen or an explanation of his legal status as a special government employee. - Sectors impacted: government, legal.
- The senators contend Olsen exceeded the 130-day limit for special government employees after being appointed in October, raising statutory compliance concerns. - Sectors impacted: legal, public administration.
- Olsen has been tied to efforts to challenge the 2020 election outcome and to actions involving voting machines in several jurisdictions; he also oversees aspects of implementing a March 2025 executive order that calls for state-federal data sharing and decertification of voting machines in 36 states. - Sectors impacted: cybersecurity, technology vendors, election services.
Risks and uncertainties
- Legal uncertainty over Olsen’s appointment could lead to further congressional scrutiny or administrative changes, with potential implications for firms engaged in election technology and contractor work. - Sectors impacted: election technology, government contractors.
- Questions about federal involvement in state-managed election processes may create policy and regulatory ambiguity ahead of key election cycles. - Sectors impacted: state administrations, data service providers.
- Ongoing disputes over claims about the 2020 election and investigations into voting machines could fuel political polarization and operational disruption for jurisdictions handling voting infrastructure. - Sectors impacted: local election offices, voting machine manufacturers.
Summary
Democratic senators, led by Senator Alex Padilla, have asked the White House to either remove Kurt Olsen from his role overseeing election security efforts or to justify legally how he may continue serving as a special government employee. The senators assert Olsen has exceeded the 130-day statutory limit for special government employees after an October appointment, and they point to his involvement in post-2020 election efforts and actions related to voting machines as reasons for concern. Olsen also has responsibility within the White House for implementing a March 2025 executive order that calls for expanded federal engagement with state election processes.