Speaking publicly for the first time since President Donald Trump declared he had dismissed her, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Monday briefly alluded to her ongoing legal fight over her position on the central bank’s board.
“I would like to briefly address an issue that may be on some of your minds,” Cook told an audience at the Brookings Institution.
“As many of you know, I am involved in an ongoing legal case. There are a number of people in this room and in this building who have reached out and been supportive in many ways. I am beyond grateful for that support,” she said.
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Cook noted that her “very skilled legal team” has already addressed questions about the case and its implications for the Federal Reserve “at length” in court filings.
“Because the case is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further today,” she added, calling her role on the Fed board “the honor of my life.”
“I will continue to carry out my sworn duties on behalf of the American people,” Cook said.
FEDERAL RESERVE GOVERNOR LISA COOK SUES TRUMP
Trump announced Cook’s removal on Aug. 25 after Bill Pulte accused her of misrepresenting her ownership of multiple homes in mortgage filings.
Cook sued Trump, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in federal court three days later.
Her lawsuit argues that Trump’s move to fire her is unlawful and undermines the Federal Reserve’s independence.
COOK’S THREE HOME LOANS AT CENTER OF TRUMP FIGHT OVER FEDERAL RESERVE SEAT
Her ascension marked a historic first, as she became the first Black woman to serve as a governor on the Fed board. Her potential removal from that same panel could mark another historic first.
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The Supreme Court is scheduled to decide the case in January.
Before Cook filed her suit, a Fed spokesperson acknowledged the potential legal feud and wrote in an Aug. 26 statement that the Fed will “abide by any court decision.”
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