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Powell Calls Supreme Court Fight Over Lisa Cook the Fed’s Most Important Case

Powell defended his courtroom appearance to stress threats to the Fed’s independence.

Overview

  • The justices signaled skepticism toward the administration’s claim that the president can remove a sitting Fed governor, warning of risks to monetary-policy independence.
  • Lisa Cook remains on the Board of Governors while the Supreme Court weighs the case, with a ruling expected by summer.
  • President Trump sought to fire Cook over mortgage-related allegations, which she denies, but lower courts blocked the removal.
  • Powell recently disclosed a Justice Department criminal probe concerning the Fed’s headquarters renovations, intensifying concerns about political pressure on the central bank.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Powell’s decision to attend oral arguments a mistake that politicized the dispute.