Fed Governor’s Firing Resurfaces Legal Questions Surrounding Presidential Power

A recent Supreme Court opinion indicated Cook could have a better shot than other agency heads who challenged their removal by Trump.

The Federal Reserve in Washington in Washington on July 21, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Lisa Cook, a governor on the Federal Reserve Board, is expected to sue President Donald Trump over her recent firing, refocusing attention on questions about the extent of presidential power and the protections Congress has instituted for particular federal entities.

As it has with other federal agencies, Congress passed a law limiting the reasons for which presidents could remove members of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve Act allows presidents to remove governors “for cause.”