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The Trump administration has asked a U.S. appeals court to halt a lower court ruling that allowed Democratic Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to resume her role at the agency.
In a filing Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Justice Department argued that reinstating Slaughter undermines the president’s constitutional authority to remove executive branch officials. The administration claims the lower court’s decision interferes with presidential powers outlined in Article II of the Constitution.
The legal challenge follows an earlier attempt by the White House to remove Slaughter from her post. A judge had blocked that effort, allowing her to continue serving at the FTC despite the administration’s objections. The case now heads to the D.C. Circuit as the administration seeks to reassert control over personnel decisions at independent federal agencies.