President Donald Trump’s administration reiterated its request on Sunday for a federal appeals court to allow him to dismiss Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors. This action is being pursued by the president in advance of the central bank’s interest rate vote.
The Trump administration submitted a response just before the 3 p.m. Eastern Sunday deadline to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The filing contended that Cook’s legal reasons for remaining in her position were unfounded. In a filing on Saturday, Cook’s legal representatives argued that the Trump administration has not provided adequate justification for her dismissal and emphasized the potential detrimental effects on the economy and nation if the president were permitted to remove a Fed governor without legitimate cause.
The filing on Sunday represents the latest development in a unique attempt by the White House to influence the traditionally independent Federal Reserve. This attempt marks the first occasion in the 112-year history of the central bank that a president has tried to remove a governor from their position.
On Sunday, Trump’s legal team asserted, “The public and the executive share an interest in ensuring the integrity of the Federal Reserve. And that requires respecting the president’s statutory authority to remove governors ‘for cause’ when such cause arises.”
Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency overseeing mortgage powers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, accused Cook of endorsing separate documents claiming both the Atlanta property and an Ann Arbor, Michigan home, purchased in June 2021, as “primary residences.” Pulte forwarded a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which has initiated an investigation.
Trump relied on those allegations to fire Cook “for cause.”
Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, described the condominium as a “vacation home” in a loan estimate, which could contradict the Trump administration’s mortgage fraud allegations. Documents obtained by The Associated Press demonstrated that Cook referred to the property as a “second home” on another form submitted for security clearance.
Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing and a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
The administration appealed and asked for an emergency ruling just before the Fed is set to meet this week and decide whether to reduce its key interest rate. Most economists expect they will cut the rate by a quarter point.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
