A federal judge restores the fired FTC commissioner, dealing a legal blow to Trump’s efforts to control independent agencies.
A federal judge has delivered a significant legal setback to President Donald Trump’s administration by ruling that the president illegally fired a Democratic commissioner from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ruled late Thursday that Rebecca Kelly Slaughter must be restored to her position, citing federal protections for independent agency commissioners.Why It Matters
In March, Trump fired Commissioner Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, the two Democratic members of the FTC, in a move Democratic lawmakers argued undermined the body’s independence.
While Friday’s ruling reduces Trump’s influence over the FTC, the case will likely now progress to a higher court, where the decision could be overturned.Who Is Rebecca Kelly Slaughter?
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was sworn in as a Federal Trade Commissioner on May 2, 2018, bringing extensive experience in competition, privacy, and consumer protection to the role.
According to her FTC biography, Commissioner Slaughter believes that the agency’s dual missions of promoting competition and protecting consumers are interconnected and complementary, remaining mindful that enforcement or rulemaking in one arena can have far-reaching implications for the other.
A proponent of greater resources, transparency, and comprehensive use of the FTC’s authorities, Commissioner Slaughter is outspoken about growing threats to competition and the broad abuse of consumers’ data. She has championed targeted merger retrospectives, corrective enforcement, and expansion of the Commission’s rulemaking authorities during her time at the FTC.
Before joining the FTC, Slaughter served as Chief Counsel to Democratic Senator Charles « Chuck » Schumer of New York.
