Attorney raises fairness concerns over President Trump's Fed governor inquiry
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Lisa Cook's lawyer says the panel investigating her is stacked with biased officials and that the process looks pre-decided, while the White House insists President Trump is simply carrying out his constitutional duties.
An attorney for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has challenged the fairness of President Donald Trump's committee, saying it is probing alleged mortgage-fraud violations involving the central bank's leadership through a process that appears deeply compromised from the start. In a letter to the president's aide Will Scharf, lawyer Abbe Lowell said the panel includes "demonstrably biased members" and cites unspecified additional allegations, which he argues must be cleared up before any hearing can honestly move forward. Lowell also said Cook would not be available for the scheduled November 5 hearing because of commitments at monetary-policy meetings in Europe, adding that the earliest realistic date for a hearing would be in December after the Federal Open Market Committee meets.
President Trump previously called Cook "dishonest" and an "automatic no vote" in comments to reporters after a rally in Tennessee, comments that underscored the administration's aggressive posture toward a sitting Fed governor. The White House, through spokesperson Matthew Middleton, responded that the president is "performing his constitutional duty" by evaluating Cook's conduct and whether she should remain on the Fed board, stressing that the Constitution requires board members' conduct to be "above reproach." Critics say that language does not erase the obvious political pressure surrounding the case.
The committee, established by a presidential memo on Oct. 7, consists of three executive-branch officials, including senior economic adviser Kevin Hassett, who has publicly suggested the president has cause to remove Cook. Lowell argued that Hassett's earlier remarks show prejudgment and further undermine the panel's objectivity. Cook's legal team said she is prepared to present facts at a hearing, but emphasized the scheduling conflict and the need for more time to prepare. The White House has not said whether the hearing date will be changed.