Supreme Court Chief Justice lets Trump fire FTC Democrat, at least for now

In a significant legal development, Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay on a lower-court ruling that favored a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who was dismissed by President Trump. This decision grants Trump a momentary advantage as the Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on the case's substantive issues. The order from Roberts effectively pauses the lower-court's decision, stating it will remain in effect 'pending further order of The Chief Justice or of the Court.' Notably, a deadline has been established for Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the ousted Democrat, to respond to the government's request for a longer-term stay, with her response due by September 15. Last week, Slaughter emerged victorious in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which upheld a District Court's ruling that deemed her firing unlawful, violating both U.S. law and Supreme Court precedents. After the appellate court's decision, Slaughter temporarily returned to her position, and her name was reinstated on the FTC's official roster of commissioners. However, as of today, she has been removed from the list once again. In parallel, the Department of Justice has filed an application seeking to halt the lower-court judgment, along with a request for an administrative stay to freeze the ruling while the Supreme Court deliberates on the matter. Slaughter has countered this request, and she now has until the end of next week to provide a more comprehensive response. Trump initially dismissed Slaughter along with another Democratic commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, in March, leaving the FTC with only Republican members. Bedoya's challenges to his firing were rendered moot in July after he chose to resign and pursue other career opportunities.