Trump administration seeks another attempt to dismiss Fed Governor Lisa Cook amid legal battle

The White House announced a renewed effort to dismiss Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, invoking a criminal referral from last August that alleged she misrepresented her primary residence on mortgage applications. The administration’s letter, obtained by the Associated Press, gave Cook until Aug. 26 to respond, citing a Supreme Court footnote that permits the president to try again provided proper notice and an opportunity to contest the action.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that nothing bars the president from another attempt to fire Cook while her lawsuit challenging a prior dismissal remains pending. After the Court’s June 5-4 decision, President Donald Trump said he would "take appropriate action immediately."

Cook’s legal team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, maintains the allegations are unfounded. Lowell noted that Cook owned a home in Ann Arbor since 2005 and listed it as her primary residence on a 2021 mortgage refinance application, while a later Atlanta condominium was briefly labeled as a primary residence in a July 2021 document but had previously been described as a vacation home. The lawyer described the later notation as an isolated error that did not indicate intent to defraud.

Lowell added that the current White House letter largely repeats the year-old claims and asserted, "These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve. No matter what President Trump tries to do next, this much is clear under the facts and Supreme Court precedent — there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook. As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed."