Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues White House to block Trump from firing three board members -- court filing

Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues White House to block Trump from firing three board members -- court filing

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the president from firing three board members. The suit, filed with the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the president lacks the legal authority to remove CPB board members [1].

The CPB, a nonprofit corporation established by Congress in 1967, is designed to be insulated from partisan interference. The lawsuit asserts that CPB is a private, non-profit corporation and not subject to control by the Executive Branch. Therefore, the president cannot remove its board members, who are not officers of the United States and are not within the removal provisions of Article II of the Constitution [1].

The suit comes amidst a broader trend of Trump administration terminations at independent agencies. In the first 100 days of Trump's presidency, officials at five independent workplace agencies were targeted, leaving three agencies significantly damaged [1].

The CPB is seeking a court declaration that the president's purported email to fire the three board members is of no legal effect. The plaintiffs, which include the CPB, its board, and the three named board members who received the email, are also asking for an order that the defendants take no actions to give effect to the email or interfere with the governance and operations of the CPB [1].

The lawsuit argues that the administration's recent terminations of board members at other congressionally-created organizations, such as the US Institute of Peace, demonstrate a pattern of credible and urgent threats against the CPB [1].

In addition to the CPB lawsuit, the Trump administration is facing a separate lawsuit from two Democratic board members of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), who allege they were improperly fired. The NCUA board members, Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka, are seeking reinstatement and other relief [2].

Both lawsuits highlight the ongoing legal battle over the president's power to control independent federal agencies. The cases are part of a broader fight over the president's authority to remove members of independent regulators, including the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission [2].

References:
[1] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-sues-trump-over-fired-board
[2] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/democratic-ncua-board-members-latest-to-sue-over-trump-firings