Supreme Court declines to review ruling that allowed Trump to fire NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox
The New Republic reports the decision leaves the president's removal of Wilcox in place and adds to his control over independent agencies.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a lower court ruling that allowed President Trump to fire Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board, according to The New Republic.
The ruling being left in place came from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The New Republic reported that Trump moved to remove Wilcox just after his inauguration last year. The outlet said the firing went ahead despite laws against at-will dismissals of board members.
Wilcox was the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB, The New Republic reported. President Biden appointed her to a second five-year term on the board in 2023.
Why it matters: The New Republic said the decision further strengthens the president's power over independent agencies. Federal regulatory bodies such as the NLRB and the Federal Trade Commission are meant to be independent of the president's control and to have bipartisan boards, the outlet noted.
According to The New Republic, Trump in his second term has ignored rules that protect agency members from being fired without cause. The outlet said he has pushed out members simply because Democrats appointed them.
The outlet said Monday's decision is in line with a Supreme Court ruling in June that allowed Trump to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a member of the FTC. The appeals court ruled in Wilcox's case before the Supreme Court decided Slaughter's case, The New Republic reported.
The court has not backed the president in every case. The New Republic reported that the justices drew the line with Lisa Cook, a governor on the Federal Reserve Board, and stopped Trump from firing her. The outlet said the administration has pursued an investigation into Cook over alleged mortgage fraud. It described that investigation as a smear and argued that Trump wants total control over regulatory agencies. Cook has not been charged with any crimes, according to the outlet.
What is not known: The New Republic's report does not say how the justices voted or whether any of them wrote about the decision. It does not include a response from Wilcox, the White House or the NLRB. It also does not say what the decision means for the board's work or for other pending challenges to removals at independent agencies.
This story is based on a single report from The New Republic.
