Federal Judge Slams Trump’s Move, Rules Firing Illegal
A federal judge has slammed President Trump’s decision to fire an FTC commissioner. The ruling says it was illegal.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, a Biden administration appointee, made it clear that the firing broke the rules. Her decision shows there are limits to presidential power.
AliKhan argued that “[Defendants repeatedly want the FTC to be something it is not: a subservient agency subject to the whims of the President and wholly lacking in autonomy. But that is not how Congress structured it,]” as she wrote in her opinion. She didn’t mince words.
She went on to say, “[Undermining that autonomy by allowing the President to remove Commissioners at will inflicts an exceptionally unique harm distinct from the mine run of wrongful termination cases,]” hitting on the point that the FTC is meant to stay independent and free of political meddling.
The FTC is in charge of enforcing antitrust laws and protecting consumers, not following the White House’s orders. Firing a commissioner like this flies in the face of how Congress set things up. Slaughter, the fired commissioner, says she’s ready to get back to work.
Republicans might say this ruling is a harsh jab from a politically motivated judge. The decision challenges a move that many in the conservative camp saw as strong and decisive. It’s a reminder that the balance of power and the structure of agencies like the FTC aren’t up for grabs to suit any one political agenda.
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