The Trump administration petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately allow the removal of Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Rebecca Slaughter while legal proceedings continue.

Slaughter’s removal was previously blocked by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in July, who ruled Trump’s firing did not comply with statutory removal protections meant to preserve regulatory independence.

The big picture: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction in a 2-1 decision, reaffirming that congressional removal protections for FTC members are constitutional based on a 1935 Supreme Court precedent, Humphrey’s Executor v. United States. • That precedent limited presidential authority to remove FTC commissioners, emphasizing agency independence from executive influence.

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