Supreme Court Blocks Trump's Attempt to Remove Fed Governor

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on the 29th (local time) not to immediately permit former President Donald Trump's attempt to remove Lisa Cook, a governor of the Federal Reserve (Fed). The ruling upheld a lower court's decision to allow Cook to remain in her position while litigation proceeds over whether former President Trump had the authority to remove her and the legality of the removal process.

Last August, former President Trump cited allegations that Governor Cook had misrepresented her residency when obtaining a home mortgage as grounds for removal, but Governor Cook filed a lawsuit in response.

This ruling halts the former president's attempt to remove a Fed governor and could serve as a significant precedent for future presidential exercises of appointment and removal authority over independent agencies, as well as for maintaining the Fed's independence. It is particularly noteworthy as it overturns a precedent regarding presidential removal of independent agency appointees dating back to 1935.