Trump admin asks Supreme Court to weigh in on firing of Copyright Office director

Federal prosecutors on Monday asked the Supreme Court to allow President Donald Trump to fire the director of the U.S. Copyright Office, after a federal appeals court panel allowed her to remain in her post.

The White House fired Shira Perlmutter in May, after serving in the post since 2020. She was previously a policy director at the Patent and Trademark Office. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reinstated Perlmutter last month.

The Justice Department filed an emergency application with the high court to pause the appeals court's decision while the case plays out.

“This application involves another case of improper judicial interference with the President’s power to remove executive officers — here, the Register of Copyrights,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the administration’s request.

Sauer argued that the lower court's ruling was a change from previous determinations that the Library of Congress and Copyright Office fall under the executive branch, which would allow Trump to fire officers who exercise executive power.

“As in past cases where lower courts have impaired the President’s constitutional authority to oversee executive agencies, this Court should grant a stay," he wrote. "The case is certworthy, the President had authority to direct respondent’s removal, the D.C. Circuit lacked equitable authority to reinstate her, and the balance of equities favors the government."

The Justice Department asked the high court to rule on the stay by Nov. 10.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.