Executive Order 14215
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
Seal of the President of the United States
Front page of Executive Order 14215
Type Executive order
Number 14215
President Donald Trump
Signed February 18, 2025
Federal Register details
Federal Register
document number		 2025-03063 Edit this on Wikidata
Publication date February 22, 2025 Edit this on Wikidata

Executive Order 14215, titled Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies, is an executive order signed by Donald Trump on February 18, 2025. Among other things, it directs independent agencies to regularly consult with the White House, including by submitting significant regulations for review before publication, and directs all executive branch officials to follow legal interpretations issued by the president or attorney general.

Provisions

The order directs independent agencies, namely those listed in 44 U.S.C. § 3502(5), to submit significant regulations to the White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review before publication.[1] It directs each of them to create a White House liaison position and to regularly consult with the White House,[1] and gives OMB oversight over independent agencies' spending.[2][1][3]

The order also directs that the "authoritative interpretations of law for the executive branch" shall be made by the "President and the Attorney General" and prohibits executive branch officials from taking a legal position contrary to those interpretations.[1][3]

The order exempts Federal Reserve decision-making on interest rates – but not its oversight of the banking system.[2]

Response

The Democratic Party (DNC, DCCC, and DSCC) filed a lawsuit in the D.C. District Court on February 28, 2025, claiming that the provision requiring the Federal Election Commission (among other independent agencies) to follow legal interpretations of the president or attorney general violates the Federal Election Campaign Act.[4][5] On June 3, Judge Amir Ali dismissed the case for lack of standing.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Davis, Daniel J.; Kennedy, Carl E.; Gervasi, Nicholas (February 24, 2025). "President Trump Executive Order on Supervision of 'Independent' Agencies". National Law Review. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Colby (February 20, 2025). "Trump Tests Fed's Independence With Order Expanding Authority Over Agencies". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Baio, Ariana (February 19, 2025). "Trump signs executive order giving himself more power over independent federal agencies". The Independent. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  4. ^ Lee, Ella (February 28, 2025). "National Democrats sue over Trump order to expand White House control of independent agencies". The Hill. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  5. ^ Corasaniti, Nick (February 28, 2025). "Democratic National Committee Files Lawsuit Against Trump". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Seiden, Daniel (June 4, 2025). "Trump Gets Court to Toss Democrats' Suit Over Election Order (1)". Bloomberg Law.

See also

  • Civil service independence
  • Executive aggrandizement in democratic backsliding
  • Unitary executive theory
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