Trump Launches Politically Motivated Attack to Oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
In a blatant abuse of presidential power, the Trump White House has targeted Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook for removal, citing dubious mortgage-fraud allegations. This move comes despite a Supreme Court decision safeguarding the independence of the Fed and restricting the president’s authority to fire board members without due process.
The White House has notified Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook that President Donald Trump is 'considering' her removal, giving her three weeks to respond to unsubstantiated allegations of mortgage-fraud misconduct, according to sources familiar with the letter. This aggressive maneuver follows a June Supreme Court ruling that upheld critical procedural protections for Fed governors, requiring notice and an opportunity to answer charges before any removal 'for cause' can proceed.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the Court, made clear that while the president may initiate proceedings, any final decision must respect due process and await a response to the allegations. Nevertheless, President Trump wasted no time, taking to social media to declare he would 'take appropriate action immediately' to remove someone he accused—without evidence—of 'committed wrongdoing.'
The letter, reportedly signed by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, accuses Cook of 'gross negligence' and threatens a prison sentence of up to 30 years, despite the fact that these allegations have not been tested in any court of law. Cook’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, denounced the charges as 'baseless,' vowing to fight this politically motivated attack in court. Cook herself categorically denied any wrongdoing, calling the attempt to remove her a 'manufactured pretext' tied to her independent monetary-policy positions, which have often challenged the administration’s agenda.
The origins of these allegations are deeply suspect, stemming from referrals by Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who has a history of targeting political opponents of Trump with criminal referrals. A Department of Justice official also pressured Fed Chair Jerome Powell to remove Cook, describing the situation as a 'cloud' over her service—an obvious attempt to undermine her credibility. Previous legal challenges to Trump’s attempts to oust Cook were dismissed by lower courts, and the Supreme Court’s narrow ruling reaffirmed the Federal Reserve’s independence, insisting that any changes to the removal process must come from Congress, not the whims of an authoritarian president.