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The Supreme Court looks poised to hand the Trump administration a major win
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one that could give the president far more power to remove top officials from independent agencies
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even for political or policy reasons. The case centers on Trump's firing of federal trade commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter
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a Democrat, earlier this year. Under a 1935 federal law, presidents can only remove leaders of independent boards for cause
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Slaughter's ouster was a direct challenge to that rule, and ysts say it's part of Trump's broader push to exert more control over independent agencies
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Inside the courtroom, the conservative majority appeared ready to back the president
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just as Brett Kavanaugh noting that these commissioners, quote, are not elected and exercise massive power over individual liberty and billion-dollar industries
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The impact could be sweeping, potentially ending the independence of more than 20 bipartisan agencies
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that oversee everything from monetary policy to consumer safety to broadcast licensing
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But the liberal wing warned of a constitutional earthquake. Justice Sonia Sotomayor told the Trump administration's lawyer
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you're asking us to destroy the structure of government. A final decision is expected by June
