Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook‘s attorney told the White House that there is “no legally cognizable cause” to remove her from the central bank’s board, rejecting the mortgage-fraud allegations President Donald Trump has cited to justify her ouster.
‘No Legally Cognizable Cause’
“Governor Cook has never committed mortgage fraud or any intentional wrongdoing, and there is no legally cognizable cause for removing her from the Federal Reserve Board,” attorney Abbe David Lowell said in the letter on Wednesday, according to Reuters News.
Lowell said the allegations rely “on untried and unproven allegations of criminal wrongdoing,” and added that even if the underlying claims were true, they would not meet the legal standard required to remove a sitting Fed governor.
The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment on Lowell’s letter, while Lowell & Associates, PLLC did not immediately respond to a request for access to the letter.
Background on the Dispute
Trump has been trying to remove Cook since August 2025, accusing the Fed governor of falsely listing two properties, in Michigan and Georgia, as primary residences on mortgage applications in 2021.
In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s bid to fire Cook in a 5-4 ruling, holding that he had not followed the procedures required by federal law to remove her from the Fed’s board.
Earlier this month, the White House renewed its effort, with Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino sending Cook a letter, dated Aug. 5, alleging she had made false statements about mortgage agreements and giving her three weeks to respond.
Why This Matters
Trump has repeatedly pressured the Fed to cut interest rates, and Cook’s removal would mark the first attempt by a sitting president to fire a Federal Reserve governor in the central bank’s history.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff
