Federal Judge Rules Trump Firing FTC Commissioner Illegal

A federal judge ruled that President Trump's firing of Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was illegal and violated the FTC Act’s protections that allow commissioners to be removed only for cause. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan emphasized that the FTC was designed as an independent agency and cannot be subordinated to presidential whims, underscoring the importance of agency autonomy. Slaughter welcomed the decision, highlighting that similar removal protections apply to other independent regulators like the SEC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve. The Trump administration has stated its intention to appeal, arguing for the President's constitutional authority to remove executive officers, which could escalate the case to the Supreme Court. The ruling aligns with a nearly century-old precedent affirming commissioners' protection from politically motivated removal, although recent Supreme Court decisions have tended to favor presidential power over regulatory bodies. The controversy also involved fellow commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, who resigned amid the legal battle and whose claims were dismissed by the court.