President Trump has fired the FTC’s two Democrat commissioners

President Donald Trump’s efforts to remake the US government continued today with the firing of the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission. This agency has historically had five members: three from the same party as the president and two from the opposing party. The New York Times reported that the president terminated the roles for FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. 

Both Slaughter and Bedoya said today that firing them is illegal. Commissioners’ terms can only be ended early for good cause, such as “inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.” Also, no more than three commissioners can come from the same political party, meaning the pair also cannot be replaced by additional Republicans. It seems likely that Trump will face a legal challenge over the attempt to eliminate these positions.

“The law protects the independence of the Commission because the law serves the American people, not corporate power,” Slaughter said in a statement. “The reason that the FTC can be so effective for the American people is because of its independence and because its commissioners serve across political parties and ideologies. Removing opposition voices may not change …read more