ig ation , ▁legisl ation , ▁and ▁executive ▁action , ▁foc using ▁on ▁rest oring ▁an ▁original ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁powers . ▁PL F ▁launched ▁a ▁legal ▁challenge ▁of ▁F DA ' s ▁De em ing ▁Rule , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁signed ▁by ▁a ▁career ▁civil ▁servant , ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁required ▁by ▁the ▁appoint ments ▁clause ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁PL F ▁released ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁ 2 , 9 5 2 ▁rules ▁issued ▁by ▁H HS ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Trump ▁administration ▁which ▁found ▁that ▁ 7 1 % ▁were ▁issued ▁un const itution ally ; ▁the ▁majority ▁being ▁signed ▁by ▁career ▁executive ▁employees , ▁not ▁" an ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ." ▁The ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁F DA ' s ▁rules ▁issued ▁in ▁that ▁time ▁period ▁were ▁issued ▁by ▁career ▁employees . ▁ ▁Other ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁PL F ▁was ▁lead ▁pla int iff ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁Str ateg ic ▁law suit ▁against ▁public ▁participation ▁( SL APP ) ▁su its ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁ma iling ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁Ab alone ▁Alliance ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁group ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁police ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁anti - n uc lear ▁civil - dis ob ed ience ▁act ▁in ▁U .