Judge finds Trump's firing of Democrats on privacy oversight board unlawful
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that President Trump's firing of two Democrats on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) were unlawful, deeming them 'null and void.'
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said that PCLOB's 'responsibility' to oversee the government's counterterrorism actions and policies and recommend changes is 'incompatible' with at-will removal by the president.
He invalidated Trump's firings of Travis LeBlanc and Edward Felten, two of PCLOB's three Democratic members, after determining that the board's structure and function 'clearly indicate' that Congress meant to restrict the president's removal power over its members. Trump also fired the third Democratic member, but her term was about to expire, so she did not join the other members' legal challenge.
'To hold otherwise would be to bless the President's obvious attempt to exercise power beyond that granted to him by the Constitution and shield the Executive Branch's counterterrorism actions from independent oversight, public scrutiny, and bipartisan congressional insight regarding those actions,' Walton wrote in a 71-page ruling.
Trump fired the three Democrats just days after returning to the White House in January, bringing much of the board's work to a standstill.
Established in response to the 9/11 Commission Report, following the 2001 terror attacks, the board was designed to ensure the government's work to fight terrorism is balanced with protections for civil liberties.
The decision means that both LeBlanc and Felton can continue serving on the board until their terms end, unless the government appeals and a higher court rules differently.
Several of Trump's firings have come under legal scrutiny, particularly regarding independent agency members. Most judges have deemed the firings unlawful, prompting appeals by the Justice Department.
The government has an emergency application pending at the Supreme Court seeking to halt summary judgment rulings reinstating fired Democrats on the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
21 minutes ago
- Associated Press
ABC's Terry Moran is suspended following his social media post calling Trump and Miller haters
NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News has suspended correspondent Terry Moran for calling Trump administration deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller a 'world class hater' in a since-deleted social media post. Moran's post was swiftly condemned by officials in the Republican administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance. ABC News, in a statement, said it 'stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others.' The New York-based network said Moran was suspended pending further evaluation. Moran, who interviewed President Donald Trump a few weeks ago, said in his post on X at 12:06 a.m. on Sunday that the president was a world-class hater, too. But he wrote that for the president, his hatred is a means to an end, 'and that end is his own glorification.' For Miller, Moran's post said, 'his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.' Vance, on X, said that Moran's post was 'dripping with hatred.' The vice president wrote: 'Remember that every time you watch ABC's coverage of the Trump administration.' Miller, on X, said Moran's 'full public meltdown' exposed the corporate press. 'For decades, the privileged anchor and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose. Terry pulled off his mask.'
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
US, Chinese trade negotiators meeting in London
Top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in London on Monday to try to fortify the countries' temporary trade truce, which is currently on track to expire in August. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer are in the U.K. for the talks with Chinese Vice President He Lifeng. It's unclear how long negotiations could last, but Chinese officials have predicted they could extend several days. 'The two sides need to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism already in place, and seek win-win results in the spirit of equality and respect for each other's concerns,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian wrote in a post on X ahead of the meeting. 'The Chinese side is sincere about this, and at the same time has its principles.' President Trump confirmed plans for the London confab last week after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who the president has described as 'extremely hard to make a deal with.' 'The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries,' Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday. The two sides have been attempting to hash out a long-term trade agreement following Trump's announcement of sweeping tariff hikes on most countries in April. The Trump administration urged countries last week to come forward with deals more favorable to U.S. interests. U.S. and Chinese leaders brokered their temporary pause in the tariff hikes after meeting in Geneva last month. Under that arrangement, the U.S. lowered its tariff rate on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, and China agreed to lower its tariff to 10 percent from 125 percent for 90 days. China's exports to the U.S. were down 35 percent in May compared to last year, according to the latest analysis from Dutch multinational banking and financial services firm ING Group, adding pressure ahead of the latest round of meetings between the two countries. 'Exports to the U.S. surprisingly decelerated despite the trade war reprieve,' ING's analysts wrote. 'We expect that export growth to the US could recover in the coming months.' 'We could see import front-loading amid the still elevated risk that tariffs could once again move higher in light the uncertainty about trade talks over the past month,' the firm added.
Washington Post
28 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Live updates: L.A. protests disperse but more planned after dozens arrested
Further protests are expected in the Los Angeles area Monday, after a weekend where more than 50 protesters were arrested as anti-ICE demonstrators clashed with law enforcement. The Trump administration ordered the deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard personnel in an effort to quell the protests, prompting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to say he plans to sue the administration. The Service Employees International Union is holding a rally in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon in support of David Huerta, president of SEIU California, the state's largest public-sector union. Huerta was arrested Friday on charges of obstruction during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid last week. He is expected to be arraigned in federal court Monday.
