US Supreme Court Backs Trump in FTC Dismissal Case

The US Supreme Court ruled in favour of President Donald Trump in a dispute over the dismissal of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In a 6-3 decision, the court overturned a 1935 precedent that had allowed Congress to shield members of certain independent regulatory agencies from being removed by the president without cause.

The ruling invalidates legal protections for FTC commissioners that Congress established more than a century ago. Trump dismissed Slaughter over political differences, despite a 1914 law permitting the removal of commissioners only for reasons such as inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office.

The court stressed that its decision does not affect the independence of the Federal Reserve. In a separate ruling issued on Monday, it declined to allow Trump to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

Trump welcomed the judgment as “BIG WIN," saying it affirmed the president's authority to remove executive branch officials. Democratic lawmakers and antitrust advocacy groups warned that the decision could weaken the independence of federal regulatory agencies.

(Reuters, bak)