A federal judge blocked the attempt by President Donald Trump to fire the governor of the Federal Reserve, Lisa Cook.
The American district judge Jia Cobb issued a preliminary judicial order that required that the Federal Reserve allow Cook to continue serving in her role as governor of the Federal Reserve system as her claim moves through the courts.
Cobb’s decision comes a week before the next meeting of the Federal Reserve, which is scheduled to start on September 16.
While the Trump administration asked the judge to delay his decision to allow an appeal, she denied her request, in part, because the public interest favors Cook in her role.
“Cook is one of the seven members of a Board that, by design, does not intend to be susceptible to the pressure of policies, much less in the implementation of implementing the president’s agenda,” Cobb wrote.
The president of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, on the left, speaks with the member of the Board of Governors Lisa Cook, on the right, during an open meeting of the Board of Governors in the Federal Reserve, on June 25, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Cobb concluded that Trump’s Cook’s dismissal attempt probably violated the Federal Reserve Law, which limits the basis for dismissing a governor to his behavior in office, and found the rights of due cook process.
“President Trump has not declared a legally permissible cause for cook elimination,” Cobb wrote.
He added that Cook showed that its elimination would cause irreparable damage, writing that the independence of the Federal Reserve is “critical to help the Nation’s banking system to promote stability.”
Cobb also criticized the Trump administration for advancing in an “absurd” argument about the scope of the president’s power, which they argued allowed Trump not only to eliminate Cook, but also for a court to review his action.
Cook’s lawyer applauded the ruling on Tuesday night, saying that “recognizes and reaffirms the importance of safeguarding the independence of the Federal Reserve by illegal political interference.”
The statement added that Cook “will continue to carry out its jurors as governor of the Board confirmed by the Senate.”
Last month, Trump asked Cook to resign the same day that Bill Abute, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, published in part of a letter of August 15 sent to the United States Attorney General Pam Bondi accusing Cook of falsifying bank documents and properties records to acquire more favorable loan terms, “potentially committing mortuvios, the established letter.”
In a statement provided to ABC News at that time, Cook said he learned of the media about the pulte letter in search of a criminal reference on the mortgage application, which preceded his time with the Federal Reserve.
“I have no intention of being intimidated to give up my position due to some questions raised in a tweet,” Cook said in the statement last week. “I intend to take any question about my financial history as a member of the Federal Reserve, so I am collecting the precise information to answer any legitimate question and provide the facts.”
Cook was nominated to serve in the Board of Governors in 2022 by former President Joe Biden. His mandate extends until January 2038. Cook is the first black woman in history to serve at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.
