Judge Rules Against Trump's Attempt to Fire Fed Board Governor Lisa Cook

"A federal judge late Tuesday ruled against President Donald Trump's unlawful attempt to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook last month, determining that the president's "for cause" argument was unconvincing as it was based on unsubstantiated accusations of wrongdoing and represented an executive overreach with worrying implications."

"Trump claimed his attempted removal of Cook, whose legal team challenged it as politically motivated and an "unprecedented and illegal" violation of the Fed's statutory independence, was for falsified mortgage applications for homes Cook purchased prior to her appointment to the board. However, Judge Jia M. Cobb of the US District Court for the District of Columbia found that the alleged infractions were neither substantiated and also took place prior to her taking the position."

""According to the government, the determination of cause is committed to the president's discretion by statute, leaving no role for this court. The court disagrees," Cobb said in her decision."

A federal judge granted Lisa Cook a temporary injunction allowing her to remain in her Federal Reserve Board post. The court ruled against President Trump's attempt to fire Cook, finding the asserted "for cause" basis unconvincing and rooted in unsubstantiated allegations. The alleged misconduct concerned falsified mortgage applications for homes Cook purchased before her appointment, which the judge found unproven and predated her service. The government argued that cause determinations lie solely within presidential discretion, but the court rejected that claim. The accusations originated with Bill Pulte, the FHFA appointee accused of using private mortgage data against political opponents.

Read at Truthout