Overview

• U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Cathy Harris, the former chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), to be reinstated after her dismissal by President Trump.
• The judge issued a temporary restraining order, citing a strong likelihood that Harris's termination violated legal protections for independent agency officials.
• Harris was removed via a one-sentence email, despite her seven-year term being set to expire in 2028, with the law requiring cause for removal such as inefficiency or malfeasance.
• The case challenges the 1935 Supreme Court precedent in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, which limits presidential power to remove officials from independent agencies without cause.
• If the case reaches the Supreme Court, it could lead to a landmark ruling redefining the scope of presidential authority over independent agency leadership.