White House Panel Delays Lisa Cook Inquiry Hearing to Dec. 14

A White House committee of inquiry moved its hearing with Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to Dec. 14, extending President Donald Trump’s effort to pursue her removal while her lawsuit continues.

The hearing, originally scheduled for Nov. 5, was postponed at Cook’s request. Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said concerns about the panel’s fairness and objectivity need to be addressed before Cook appears. Lowell also said her financial and monetary policy meetings in Europe ruled out a hearing before December.

Trump formed the panel in early October to examine his allegations of false statements on Cook’s mortgage applications and decide whether they provide grounds for her removal. Cook denies wrongdoing. In her lawsuit, she argues the mortgage claims are a pretext and that Trump is seeking to oust her because she refused to agree to his demands that she vote for lower interest rates.

A June Supreme Court ruling left Cook in office while her lawsuit proceeds, citing the lack of due process before Trump’s attempted firing. The decision did not resolve whether a president can ultimately remove a Federal Reserve governor. The inquiry followed Trump’s initial order for a probe into Cook’s mortgage claims.