President Donald Trump has taken another step in his efforts to reshape the US government by dismissing the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC traditionally consists of five members, with three aligned with the president’s party and two from the opposing party. According to a report in The New York Times, President Trump has relieved FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya of their roles.
Both Slaughter and Bedoya have asserted that their termination is unlawful. Commissioners can only be removed from their positions early for valid reasons, such as inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct. Additionally, no more than three commissioners can belong to the same political party, making it impossible for the pair to be replaced by additional Republicans. It is anticipated that President Trump will face legal challenges regarding his attempt to eliminate these positions.
«The law safeguards the independence of the Commission because it serves the American people, not corporate interests,» Slaughter stated in a press release. «The FTC’s effectiveness in serving the American people stems from its independence and the fact that its commissioners represent various political parties and ideologies. Removing dissenting voices may not alter the actions of the Trump majority, but it does impact the level of accountability they will face.»
Bedoya echoed Slaughter’s sentiments regarding the illegality of their removal. «Tomorrow, I will be testifying before the Colorado Joint House and Senate Judiciary Committees and will provide further comments then,» he wrote.
In February, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at exerting more influence over agencies that were designed to operate independently of the White House. The order specifically targeted agencies like the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Recently, the FTC removed all posts from President Biden’s administration from its business blog, resulting in a four-year gap with no published compliance advice.
This article was originally published on Engadget at [insert original link here].
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