A federal court ruled on Thursday that President Trump’s firing of a Democratic commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission was illegal and that she was a “rightful member” of the agency.
In March, Mr. Trump dismissed Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, an F.T.C. commissioner, and her colleague, Alvaro Bedoya, from their positions as he asserted control over agencies that regulate companies and workplaces. The move challenged to longstanding legal precedent that members of the F.T.C. can be fired only for a narrow set of reasons.
Judge Loren L. AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in her ruling on Thursday that because “those protections remain constitutional, as they have for almost a century, Ms. Slaughter’s purported removal was unlawful and without legal effect.”
Mr. Bedoya also challenged his removal. But he resigned from the commission in June, saying he could not afford to have no income while his position at the agency was debated in court. As a result, Judge AliKhan dismissed his claims.
Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by Mr. Trump as chair of the F.T.C., has sought to align the agency with the president’s agenda. Mr. Ferguson has focused on decisions by online platforms to take down content, and hosted a workshop on concerns about gender-affirming care. In March, Mr. Ferguson said he had “no doubts” that the president had the right to remove Ms. Slaughter and Mr. Bedoya.
Ms. Slaughter said in a statement on Thursday that the court had recognized that “the law is clear, and I look forward to getting back to work.” She added, “All these agencies were designed by Congress so that the economy wouldn’t experience whiplash every time the political winds change.”
The F.T.C. declined to comment. A White House spokesman said the administration would appeal the decision.
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the president’s constitutional authority to fire and remove executive officers who exercise his authority,” said a White House spokesman, Kush Desai.
David McCabe is a Times reporter who covers the complex legal and policy issues created by the digital economy and new technologies.
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