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Trump renews Fed bid
The Trump administration is moving ahead with efforts to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, two months after the Supreme Court allowed her to retain her job while she fights the president’s effort to terminate her over mortgage fraud allegations that she has denied.
“Trump indicated, after the opinion, that he would do just that, vowing to “take appropriate action immediately.””
The Supreme Court’s June ruling was a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing in a footnote that nothing forbids President Donald Trump from “trying again” to fire Cook if she is given proper notice and a chance to contest it.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, White House aide Dan Scavino told Cook that Trump was “considering removing you from your position” and gave her until August 26 to challenge it.
The renewed attempt is rooted in a criminal referral made last August by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, that accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud by declaring two different homes—one in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and one in Atlanta—as “primary residence.”
Procedural fight and denial
The White House’s renewed effort follows the Supreme Court’s June decision blocking Trump’s first attempt, which ruled Cook was not given notice or an opportunity to respond.
In the CBS News account of the Aug. 5 letter, Dan Scavino wrote that “Pursuant to the Supreme Court's opinion from June 29, 2026, you are hereby provided notice” and set an Aug. 26 deadline for Cook to provide a response.
Cook’s attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, vowed to “challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed,” while Reuters reported that Cook’s lawyer called the allegations “baseless.”
Reuters also said the letter alleged Cook committed crimes that could be punishable by up to 30 years in prison and that her conduct constituted negligence that called into question her trustworthiness as a Fed governor.
What’s at stake next
The Supreme Court’s June ruling preserved the central bank’s independence by blocking removal “for now,” but it left the underlying factual dispute unresolved for lower courts to decide.
“Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the high court ruling, said Trump had "failed to afford Cook the procedural protections"”
In the Reuters account, Chief Justice John Roberts said Trump had “failed to afford Cook the procedural protections to which she was entitled by statute,” and the court said it was not deciding the validity of the factual dispute in the case.
The New York Times reported that the Supreme Court left much unresolved, providing an opportunity for Trump to revive his attacks, while also noting Cook’s term ends in 2038.
The legal battle is likely to hinge on whether the allegations meet the “for cause” standard under the Federal Reserve Act, and Cook’s lawyers reiterated that “there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook” as they prepare to challenge the latest pretext.
