Trump administration asks supreme court to allow firing of Fed’s Lisa Cook

 The Trump administration asked the US supreme court to allow it to fire the Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, as it continues its extraordinary attack on the central bank’s independence.



Related: The Federal Reserve’s independence is about to be tested like never before

In a filing on Thursday, Donald Trump’s officials requested an emergency order to remove Cook from the Fed’s board of governors, after an appeals court refused to go along with efforts to oust her.

The request sets the stage for an historic test of presidential power. Trump has sought to fire Cook – citing unconfirmed allegations of mortgage fraud – while he pursues greater control of the Fed, which has for decades operated without political interference.

But lawyers for Cook, who has denied wrongdoing, have argued that the US president has no authority to fire her.

Related: ‘Pattern of lawfare’: Trump is targeting opponents with mortgage fraud claims

The administration failed to dismiss Cook in time for this week’s latest Fed policy meeting, where the central bank decided to cut interest rates by 25 basis points.

But the White House did successfully install Stephen Miran, a top White House economic official, as a Fed governor just in time for the meeting. He dissented from the rest of the committee, and voted for a deeper rate cut.

Trump has made no secret of his plans to influence the Fed, calling into question the future of its longstanding independence by publicly describing plans to swiftly build “a majority” on its board.

He has repeatedly broken with precedent to demand interest rate cuts, and attack senior Fed officials, including its chair, Jerome Powell, when they repeatedly defied these calls.

Concerning economic signs, including data indicating that the labor market has stalled and inflation has picked up, have prompted most officials at the Fed to tread carefully.

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