A case that could provide the Trump administration with new and expansive power over the traditionally independent Federal Reserve focused Friday on what would constitute “cause” to remove a high-ranking official at the nation's central bank.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has requested an emergency injunction to block President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home and condo in 2021. She was appointed to the Fed's board by former president Joe Biden in 2022.

Arguments in court Friday centered on what constitutes “cause,” which in this case are unproven accusations by a Trump appointee that Cook committed mortgage fraud.

In an exchange with U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, Cook’s lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, sa

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