By JANE DOE and JOHN SMITH
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday by firing two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, further asserting his administration’s influence over independent agencies throughout the government.
Both Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter released statements claiming that their dismissals were unlawful.
While the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the removal of Bedoya and Slaughter could pave the way for new commissioners aligned with the White House’s agenda to join the five-member FTC.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson took to Twitter late Tuesday to express his confidence in Trump’s authority to remove Commissioners, emphasizing the importance of democratic accountability.
The Federal Trade Commission, established by Congress, is responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and antitrust regulations. Typically, its seats consist of three members from the president’s party and two from the opposing party.
Commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, serving staggered seven-year terms to prevent simultaneous vacancies.
The ousted commissioners referenced past Supreme Court decisions that aimed to uphold the agency’s independence, allowing for commissioners to be removed only for justifiable reasons.
“The president has unjustly terminated my position. This is blatant corruption,” said Bedoya, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and confirmed in May 2022.
He continued, “The FTC was established 111 years ago as an independent agency to combat fraud and monopolies, but now the president wants it to cater to his associates.”
Slaughter, initially appointed by President Barack Obama in 2018, and acting chair in 2021, was nominated by Biden for a second term in February 2023. In her statement, she highlighted the need for the law to safeguard the Commission’s independence in serving the American public over corporate interests.
“Eliminating opposition may not alter the Trump majority’s actions, but it does affect their accountability,” she wrote.
In 1935, the Supreme Court ruled that the president could not dismiss leaders of independent agencies without cause, to prevent politicization and maintain independence.
While this restriction was somewhat weakened in a 2020 decision, it has largely remained intact.
The firings are expected to escalate legal disputes regarding the extent of presidential powers, with potential implications for other independent agencies such as the Federal Reserve. Despite these challenges, the Trump administration appears resolute in expanding the president’s authority to remove officials at will.
The issue is particularly sensitive for the Federal Reserve, an institution that values its autonomy. Economists and financial markets typically support an independent Fed to prevent politicization that could hinder decisive actions against inflation.
While Trump has indicated that he will allow Fed chair Jerome Powell to complete his term, he previously threatened to dismiss Powell in 2018 following interest rate hikes that could slow economic growth.
The dismissals of Bedoya and Slaughter come after the Trump administration removed numerous “business guidance” blogs posted by the FTC during the Biden administration. Over 350 blog posts were taken down, covering a range of topics such as AI-enabled voice cloning and a lawsuit against Amazon’s Prime subscription program. Blogs from 2010 to 2017 under Obama’s tenure remain accessible on the FTC’s website.
Nidhi Hegde, executive director of the American Economic Liberties Project, criticized the dismissals as “illegal and null.” Hegde emphasized that independent agencies like the FTC are tasked with upholding the law and protecting public interests, not subject to arbitrary removal by a president.
Associated Press writer Haleluya Hadero in South Bend, Indiana, contributed to this report.
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