Oregon’s U.S. senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are turning up the heat on the White House, joining a bloc of Democratic colleagues in calling for the ouster of Kurt Olsen from his post overseeing election security. The lawmakers argue that Olsen, appointed by President Trump last October, has pushed debunked voter-fraud theories and could use his position to meddle in the 2026 midterms.
The demand comes in a letter organized by Sen. Alex Padilla and sent to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Presidential Personnel Director Dan Scavino and White House Counsel David Warrington, according to Padilla’s office. The senators contend that Olsen’s appointment has “exceeded the legal limits” for a special government employee and urge the administration to either remove him or explain, in detail, how his continued service is legally defensible.
“The public record is clear that Mr. Kurt Olsen’s service as a special government employee (SGE) … has exceeded the legal limits,” they wrote, pressing the White House for Olsen’s exact dates of service and a legal justification for keeping him in place. Federal ethics rules generally cap SGEs at 130 days of work in any 365-day stretch, as outlined by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, a standard the senators explicitly cite.
How Olsen’s Work Landed Under Scrutiny
Olsen’s role drew sharper attention after filings and referrals surfaced in connection with an FBI search of Fulton County election offices in late January, part of a criminal probe into the 2020 results. An affidavit unsealed after that search says the investigation “originated” from a referral by Olsen, according to The Associated Press.
Separate reporting has outlined administration efforts to scrutinize and, in some cases, move toward seizing voting machines. Those efforts, which included attempts to sideline roughly half of U.S. voting machines based on conspiracy theories, were detailed by Reuters.
White House Response
A White House official told KOIN 6 News that the president’s team is “in lockstep with the president and working together to prioritize election integrity.” The Oregon senators say that line may sound reassuring, but it does not grapple with the specific legal and ethical questions they raised about Olsen’s status.
Legal Questions And Next Steps
The letter presses the White House to spell out how Olsen’s continued service can be squared with SGE limits and to provide his precise appointment dates and job duties, a demand echoed in other coverage. Reuters reported that the lawmakers warned keeping Olsen in his post could open the door for executive branch interference in elections that are supposed to be run by the states.
Ethics officials say that if an SGE is expected to work past the 130-day limit, the administration should either reclassify the position or end the appointment, consistent with guidance from the Office of Government Ethics.
The senators have given the White House a short window to respond. If the administration does not act, the letter signals that they are prepared to pursue additional oversight. For Oregon’s delegation, which has repeatedly sounded alarms about efforts that followed the 2020 election, this is both a legal challenge and a political test: how far the White House is willing to go in examining and possibly contesting the 2020 results ahead of the 2026 midterms, and whether a temporary hire like Olsen should wield that kind of authority.
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