Lisa Cook’s lawyer calls White House inquiry biased and seeks later hearing
A lawyer for the Federal Reserve governor challenged the panel’s impartiality in an October 13 letter and said Cook could participate only after the Fed’s December policy meeting.
Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook’s lawyer challenged the White House inquiry into her possible removal in an October 13 letter, calling its committee ‘demonstrably biased.’ Abbe Lowell also said Cook could not attend its proposed November 5 hearing because of official duties, leaving the timing of the inquiry unresolved.
Lowell addressed the letter to William Scharf, counsel to President Donald Trump. He did not rule out Cook participating in the inquiry: the earliest she could do so, he wrote, would be after the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for December 8–9. On November 5, Cook would be carrying out official duties at financial and monetary policy meetings in Europe, according to the letter as reported by the Associated Press and Reuters.
Why Cook’s lawyer objects to the White House panel
The White House established the three-member committee of inquiry on October 9. Its task is to recommend whether there is cause to remove Cook, according to a White House memo described by the Associated Press. The committee is part of Trump’s continuing effort to dismiss a sitting Federal Reserve governor.
Its members are White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair Andrea Rich. Lowell cited Hassett’s earlier statement that the president had ‘cause’ to fire Cook as a reason to question the panel’s objectivity, the Associated Press reported. Lowell also objected to unspecified additional allegations and an unclear schedule for disclosing further evidence.
Cook’s removal dispute and the November 5 hearing
Trump has accused Cook of mortgage fraud in 2021, before she joined the Fed’s board. Cook denies the accusation, and no criminal charges have been filed against her over it, the Associated Press reported. The committee is considering a recommendation on cause for removal while the underlying accusation remains disputed.
Trump first tried to fire Cook in August 2025. She has remained in office while litigation over that attempt continues following a Supreme Court ruling earlier in 2026, according to the Associated Press. Reuters, in reporting carried by Hindustan Times, said Cook continues to contest the removal effort. The newly formed committee adds a White House process to that ongoing court dispute.
The White House had not confirmed whether the November 5 hearing would be rescheduled when Hindustan Times reported on Lowell’s letter. His stated availability begins after the December 8–9 Fed meeting; no new hearing date or White House response to his objections is established in the reports.
Sources and context
- Lawyers for Federal Reserve's Lisa Cook say White House hearing set up by Trump is 'biased'PBS NewsHour, carrying Associated Press reporting by Christopher Rugaber
- Fed Reserve Governor Lisa Cook’s lawyer denounces Trump’s latest firing bid after year-long fightHindustan Times, reporting and attributing the letter coverage to Reuters
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