Trump fires FTC commissioners, setting up a legal battle

President Trump fired the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday, setting up a challenge to a 1935 Supreme Court precedent prohibiting the firing of FTC commissioners for reasons other than “good cause.”

The White House terminated commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya earlier Tuesday, The New York Times reported. In a statement, Slaughter called the firings “illegal.”

“Today the president illegally fired me from my position as a federal trade commissioner, violating the plain language of a statute and clear Supreme Court precedent,” Slaughter said. “Why? Because I have a voice. And he is afraid of what I’ll tell the American people.”

The FTC, which typically has five members, was established in 1914 and is charged with enforcing consumer protection and antitrust laws. The Trump administration has aggressively challenged the authority of independent regulatory agencies, including the FTC.