Trump Administration Renews Effort to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Trump administration is renewing its attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over disputed mortgage fraud allegations.A Supreme Court ruling allowed Cook to remain in office but left Trump an avenue to try firing her again with proper notice.Cook has until Aug. 26 to respond and says the allegations are a pretext to undermine the Fed’s independence.
Quick Look
- The White House is moving forward with another attempt to dismiss Lisa Cook.
- Cook has denied allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.
- The Supreme Court allowed her to remain at the Fed while her lawsuit proceeds.
- Chief Justice John Roberts said Trump was not barred from “trying again.”
- White House aide Dan Scavino gave Cook until Aug. 26 to challenge the proposed removal.
- The allegations involve how Cook characterized properties in Michigan and Georgia.
- Cook’s lawyer called the Atlanta designation an “isolated notation.”
- Her legal team says it will challenge the latest effort to remove her.
- The Trump administration is appealing a lower-court decision favoring Cook.
Deep Look
Trump administration renews attempt to remove Cook
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving forward with another attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, two months after the Supreme Court allowed her to remain in office while she challenges President Donald Trump’s initial effort to remove her.
Cook, who was nominated to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors by former President Joe Biden, has denied allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.
The administration is appealing a lower-court ruling in Cook’s favor as the legal dispute over her position continues.
The case has significant implications for the independence of the Federal Reserve, whose governors make decisions about interest rates and monetary policy that can affect inflation, employment, borrowing costs and the broader economy.
Supreme Court left an opening for another attempt
In a 5-4 ruling in June, the Supreme Court said Cook could remain in her position at least while her lawsuit challenging her dismissal proceeds.
However, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the ruling did not prevent Trump from “trying again” to remove Cook, provided the administration gave her proper notice and an opportunity to contest the allegations.
Following the decision, Trump indicated that he intended to pursue another attempt at removing her, promising to “take appropriate action immediately.”
The White House has now formally notified Cook that the president is considering her removal.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, White House aide Dan Scavino told Cook that Trump was “considering removing you from your position.”
Citing the Supreme Court’s requirement that Cook receive adequate notice and a chance to respond, Scavino gave her until Aug. 26 to challenge the proposed action.
Mortgage allegations center on two properties
The effort to remove Cook stems from a criminal referral submitted in August 2025 by Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Pulte accused Cook of identifying two properties as her primary residence: a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a condominium in Atlanta.
The distinction can affect the terms of a mortgage. Buyers may qualify for lower interest rates or smaller down payments when purchasing a primary residence compared with a vacation property or second home.
Cook has strongly denied that she intended to commit fraud. She has argued that the allegations are being used to punish her for refusing to allow political pressure to influence her decisions at the central bank.
Cook said the president had tried to remove her “on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people.”
The latest letter from the White House largely repeats the allegations first raised approximately a year ago.
Cook’s lawyer disputes claims of fraudulent intent
Cook’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, offered a detailed defense of the mortgage documents in a November letter.
Lowell said Cook has lived primarily in the Ann Arbor property since purchasing it in 2005. Based on that history, he argued, it was accurate for her to describe the Michigan home as her “primary residence” when she applied to refinance its mortgage in June 2021.
Cook purchased the Atlanta condominium one month later. A July 2021 document also identified that property as her “primary residence.”
Lowell characterized that description as an “isolated notation” and said it did not demonstrate an intention to defraud the lender.
An earlier mortgage application submitted to the same lender in May 2021 described the Atlanta condominium as a “vacation home,” according to Lowell.
Cook also identified the Atlanta property as a second home in federal disclosure documents filed during her confirmation process to become a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
Those records, Cook’s legal team argues, contradict the allegation that she intentionally sought to misrepresent the property’s status.
Cook vows to challenge the latest action
Lowell rejected the renewed White House effort and said the administration had not produced valid grounds for removing Cook.
“These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve,” Lowell said in a statement.
Cook’s legal team intends to contest any new dismissal attempt and seek to keep her on the Fed board.
“No matter what President Trump tries to do next, this much is clear under the facts and Supreme Court precedent — there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook. As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed,” Lowell added.
The dispute will now return to a legal process shaped by the Supreme Court’s June decision. The administration must establish that it provided Cook with adequate notice and an opportunity to answer the allegations, while Cook is expected to argue that the stated grounds for removal remain legally and factually insufficient.
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