President Donald Trump dismissed two Democratic commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday (March 18), sparking a legal battle over the independence of the agency. The White House confirmed the firings, asserting the president’s authority to manage personnel within the executive branch.
The move leaves the FTC with only two Republican commissioners, Andrew Ferguson, who serves as the chair, and Melissa Holyoak. The absence of a third commissioner could impact the FTC’s ability to perform certain functions, as the agency requires a quorum of three members.
The dismissed commissioners have vowed to challenge the decision in court, arguing that their removal violates the FTC’s independence as established by a 1935 Supreme Court ruling in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States. This ruling limits the president’s power to remove FTC commissioners without cause. Bedoya and Slaughter claim their firings are politically motivated and undermine the FTC’s role in protecting consumers and enforcing antitrust laws.
Bedoya stated, “The president just illegally fired me. This is corruption, plain and simple.”
The Trump administration has previously sought to expand presidential powers over independent agencies, raising concerns about the implications for other bodies like the Federal Reserve. The firings could set a precedent affecting the future independence of such agencies.
The legal battle over these dismissals is expected to have significant implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and independent regulatory agencies.
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