Legal Defense Fund (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Janai S. Nelson issued the below statement in response to President Trump’s announcement last night that he was firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Cook is the first woman of color to serve on the Board of Governors, and only the fourth Black appointee ever to serve.
“President Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is a stunning abuse of power. The central bank’s independence is sacred and fundamental to the stability of our economy. By brazenly interfering with that independence, the President threatens not only our financial system but the rule of law itself.
“This action is part of a deeply troubling pattern of baseless attacks on, and removals of, distinguished Black public servants, especially Black women. Since January, President Trump has ousted four-star General CQ Brown, the second Black general ever to serve as Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the National Labor Relations Board, Carla Hayden, the first Black Librarian of Congress, Charlotte Burrows, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and now Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to sit on the Federal Reserve Board. His intent is unmistakable: strip Black leaders of their positions, their titles, and their dignity.
“These actions are not the actions of a leader who respects our democracy. They are the tactics of authoritarians. And every American – regardless of race or party – should be alarmed.”
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
