Chief Justice Roberts temporarily allows Trump fire FTC commissioner

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday temporarily allowed President Trump to fire Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter as the high court considers the president's emergency appeal.

Trump is attempting to fire Slaughter without cause, despite federal law preventing him from doing so, The Hill news outlet reported. The Trump administration argues that the law is unconstitutional, holding a view of presidential power that could cause the Supreme Court to overturn its 90-year-old precedent upholding such removal protections.

Roberts issued the temporary, administrative stay since emergency appeals arising from Washington, D.C., go to him by default. Also on Monday, he ordered Slaughter’s lawyers to respond in writing by by Sept. 15.

Slaughter is a Democrat who was appointed to the FTC in 2018 and Trump fired in March.

In July, a federal district judge reinstated Slaughter. Days later, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia allowed Slaughter's firing to move forward temporarily as it considered the administration’s bid for an indefinite pause. 

On Tuesday, the D.C. court rejected the administration’s bid, reinstating Slaughter again.

“Applicants identify no harm that will result from Commissioner Slaughter’s continued service while their stay application is pending,” Slaughter’s lawyers wrote in their Supreme Court filings.