The Supreme Court has allowed President Trump to temporarily fire Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, one of the five commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Trump attempted to fire Slaughter, a Democrat, in March. She fought back by saying the move violated the FTC Act, which specifies that a president can only remove an FTC commissioner for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
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U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts provided Slaughter and her legal team with a deadline of September 15 to respond to an order from the Justice Department to permanently fire her. Slaughter briefly returned to her office last week after a federal appeals court ruled she could remain in her position.
Trump Removal of Slaughter, Fed’s Cook Challenge Humphrey’s Executor Ruling
Trump’s firing challenges the Humphrey’s Executor v. United States case, which set the precedent that Congress can limit the president’s ability to remove officials from independent agencies. Last month, Trump also moved to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, accusing her of committing mortgage fraud by listing two separate properties as her primary residence.
Cook has responded with her own lawsuit, saying that Trump has no legal grounds to do so and that the move is an attempt to undermine the Fed’s independence.
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