Cook removal rejected as attorney cites ‘no legally cognizable cause’
Lisa Cook’s attorney told the White House there is “no legally cognizable cause” to remove her from the Fed board, disputing mortgage-fraud allegations cited by President Trump and saying the claims fail the legal standard.
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook ‘s attorney told the White House that there is “no legally cognizable cause” to remove her from the central bank’s board, rejecting the mortgage-fraud allegations President Donald Trump has cited to justify her ouster. ‘No Legally Cognizable Cause’ “Governor Cook has never committed mortgage fraud or any intentional wrongdoing, and there is no legally cognizable cause for removing her from the Federal Reserve Board,” attorney Abbe David Lowell said in the letter on Wednesday, Lowell said the allegations rely “on untried and unproven allegations of criminal wrongdoing,” and added that even if the underlying claims were true, they would not meet the legal standard required to remove a sitting Fed governor.
The White House did not immediately respond to ’s request for comment on Lowell’s letter, while Lowell & Associates, PLLC did not immediately respond to a request for access to the letter.
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In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s bid to fire Cook in a 5-4 ruling, holding that he had not followed the procedures required by federal law to remove her from the Fed’s board.
Earlier this month, the White House renewed its effort, with Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino sending Cook a letter, dated Aug.
5, alleging she had made false statements about mortgage agreements and giving her three weeks to respond.
Why This Matters Trump has repeatedly pressured the Fed to cut interest rates, and Cook’s removal would mark the first attempt by a sitting president to fire a Federal Reserve governor in the central bank’s history.
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Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff