Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempted Removal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempted Removal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, effectively blocking former President Donald Trump’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her post. The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, ensures Cook will continue serving on the Board of Governors as her lawsuit proceeds, a decision made just one week before the Federal Reserve’s critical meeting scheduled for September 16.
Judge Cobb’s decision underscored the public interest in maintaining Cook’s role and the Federal Reserve’s independence. In her ruling, Cobb stated that the Board is “by design, not intended to be susceptible to policy pressure, let alone tasked with implementing the President’s agenda.” She further criticized the Trump administration’s argument regarding the scope of presidential power, deeming it “absurd” for suggesting the president could remove Cook without judicial review.
The court found that Trump had not presented a legally permissible cause for Cook’s removal, likely violating the Federal Reserve Act, which limits grounds for dismissal to behavior in office, and infringing upon Cook’s due process rights. Cook’s attorneys praised the ruling, emphasizing its reaffirmation of the Fed’s independence from political interference.
Governor Cook, nominated in 2022 and the first Black woman on the Federal Reserve Board, has a term extending until January 2038. Last month, Trump had publicly called for her resignation following allegations of mortgage fraud, which Cook has denied, asserting her intention to “take any questions about my financial history seriously” but refusing to be “bullied to step down.”
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