Mon Sep 08 15:50:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Supreme Court Allows Trump to Remove FTC Member, Signaling Shift in Presidential Power**

**WASHINGTON (AP) —** In a move signaling a potential shift in the balance of power between the executive and independent agencies, Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to remove Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. The decision is the latest in a series of high-profile firings allowed by the Supreme Court, raising questions about the future of independent federal agencies.

Trump initially moved to fire Slaughter, who sued, arguing that FTC commissioners can only be removed for cause, such as misconduct or neglect of duty. Lower courts sided with Slaughter, but Roberts issued a brief order halting those decisions in response to an appeal from the Trump administration.

The Justice Department argued that the FTC and other executive branch agencies are under Trump’s control, and the president should be free to remove commissioners without cause. Slaughter’s lawsuit will continue, with her lawyers required to respond to the Trump administration’s arguments next week.

The Supreme Court’s action is the latest indication that the conservative majority may be moving away from the 1935 precedent set in Humphrey’s Executor, which protected independent board members from arbitrary presidential action. That decision ushered in an era of powerful independent agencies regulating various aspects of American life.

Conservative legal theorists have long criticized this precedent, arguing that such agencies should be more accountable to the president. The FTC, which enforces consumer protection and antitrust legislation, was also at the center of the 1935 case. The agency typically consists of three members from the president’s party and two from the opposing party.

The court has previously allowed the firings of other board members of independent agencies. It has suggested, however, that his power to fire has limitations at the Federal Reserve, a prospect that could soon be tested with the case of Fed Gov. Lisa Cook.

Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

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