[9] In 2016, Protect Democracy was co-founded by Ian Bassin, Justin Florence, and Emily Loeb, who served as lawyers in the White House Counsel’s Office under former President Barack Obama.

[14] The following year, Bassin and Florence were named to the Time 100 Next list in an article written by John Dean, former White House Counsel to Richard Nixon.

[19][20] In 2021, the group represented 66 former members of Congress, including two dozen Republicans, challenging Trump’s efforts to block the January 6th Select Committee from accessing his presidential records.

[21] During the 2020 election, Bassin urged then-candidate Joe Biden to reverse course after declaring he would defy a subpoena if called to testify in Trump’s first impeachment.

In 2019, the organization filed a lawsuit on behalf of Reverend Kaji Douša, challenging a previously secret Department of Homeland Security (DHS) surveillance operation that targeted activists, journalists, lawyers, and faith leaders, all of whom spoke out against the Trump administration.

[35][36] In 2023, a federal judge in California ruled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the DHS violated Douša’s rights by retaliating against her for ministering to migrants and refugees.

Circuit of Appeals upheld a lower court’s injunction blocking enforcement of the law, ruling that Florida businesses' speech rights were improperly restricted.

[45][46][47] Freeman and Moss, who sued One America News Network, Rudy Giuliani and The Gateway Pundit, were awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for their defense of the 2020 election.

[50][51] Protect Democracy's case representing Robert Weisenbach, the Republican postmaster in Pennsylvania, was settled out of court by Project Veritas and James O'Keefe.

[54][55][56] The group also sued the makers and promoters of the film 2,000 Mules, representing Mark Andrews, a voter who legally placed his ballot and those of his family into a dropbox ahead of the 2020 election.

In 2018, Protect Democracy sued then-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, seeking his recusal from overseeing a recount in an election in which he was also a candidate.

[73][74] Protect Democracy later challenged Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, for appearing to use his governmental position to advance his own candidacy for governor.

[77] In 2022, the group filed a lawsuit against individuals and organizations conspiring to intimidate Arizona voters who were using drop boxes to deliver their ballots in the 2022 election.

[78][79] Days later, a federal court issued an order barring the defendants in the case from confronting, photographing, and doxing voters, in addition to carrying guns and wearing body armor near drop boxes.

[85] The second case, Cervini v. Stapp, was filed against San Marcos law enforcement officials who allegedly failed to provide a police escort during the attack.

[86][87] A jury in the other case found the lead organizer of the "Trump Train" guilty of using threats to prevent the Biden-Harris campaigners from engaging in political activity.