The Supreme Court has dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding President Donald Trump’s firings of the heads of independent federal agencies with one important exception: the Federal Reserve. The justices allowed Fed governor Lisa Cook to stay in her job while she fights the Republican president’s effort to fire her over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied.

Support for Trump’s Position

The justices ruled in the case of former Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter, whom Trump fired without cause despite a provision of federal law that requires a reason. The logic of the decision extends to other agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, where Trump also has fired board members.

Trump voiced his approval in a Truth Social post, saying it is an honor to be the sitting President who won this historic and unprecedented ruling. The court already had signaled its support for the Trump administration’s position, over the liberals’ objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continued.

Fed Governor Cook’s Case

In Cook’s case, the court voted 5-4 to reject the Trump administration’s effort to get Cook out of her job now. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that allowing Cook to be ousted now would turn for-cause protection into little more than at-will employment. However, Roberts did include a footnote in his opinion noting that nothing forbids Trump from trying again to fire her, provided she is given proper notice and a chance to contest it.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.