Trump Sues to Remove CPB Board Members

The Trump administration has sued to remove three Democratic appointees—Laura Ross, Thomas Rothman, and Diane Kaplan—from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) board after they refused to step down following attempted firings in April. The Justice Department claims the board members are unlawfully holding their seats and seeks a federal court order to enforce their removal and invalidate their actions since April. The dispute arises amid Republican proposals to cut $1.1 billion in federal funding to the CPB, which supports public media organizations including PBS and NPR. The board members argue that the president lacks authority to remove them and have filed their own lawsuit contesting the dismissals. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss has allowed the members to remain on the board while litigation proceeds, though he denied a preliminary injunction to block their removal. The case underscores ongoing tensions over public broadcasting's independence and funding.