Justice Dept. and Fed's Lisa Cook ask judge to pause firing case until January

On Friday, lawyers for the Justice Department and for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook asked U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb to put the court fight over President Trump's attempt to fire Cook on hold. They asked her to suspend upcoming deadlines and said they would give her an update in early January ¹.

The case is Cook v. Trump, No. 25-cv-2903, in the federal district court in Washington, D.C. ¹. The request came three days after the Nov. 3 midterm election, in which Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate ².

The pause gives a White House "committee of inquiry" time to act first. Trump created that panel to decide whether he has "cause" to remove Cook. A White House official said the panel is set to meet Dec. 14 ¹.

How the fight got here

The Federal Reserve, often called the Fed, is the nation's central bank. Its leaders set the interest rates that ripple through mortgages, credit cards and the interest paid on savings accounts. Under the law that governs the Fed, a president can fire a governor only "for cause" ⁵.

From Channel GOPTrump's 'find 11,780 votes' call played at hearingDonald Trump · 306 plays · captioned, with the source named

Trump first tried to fire Cook in August 2025. He pointed to allegations that she made false statements involving "one or more mortgage instruments" ³. Cook has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime ³¹. Bloomberg describes the mortgage allegations as unproven ¹.

On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Cook could keep her seat for now. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a majority that also included Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented ⁸.

The justices found that Trump had not given Cook notice and a fair chance to respond before he tried to remove her ³. They did not decide whether he can ultimately fire her ³. Roberts did stress how important it is for the Fed to stay free of political influence ¹.

Whether a Governor should be removed, it is true, is a decision only the President can make (short of impeachment).

A White House panel, and a hearing pushed back

Trump started over in August ¹. In an Oct. 7 memo, he created a three-member committee to look into the allegations ⁶. Its job is to tell him "whether there is 'cause' for Governor Cook's removal" ³. The members are Kevin Hassett, Trump's top economic adviser; Andrea Lucas, who chairs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and Keith Sonderling, director of the Office of Government Ethics ³.

The panel first scheduled a closed hearing for Nov. 5. A White House official said on Nov. 4 that it had been moved to Dec. 14 at Cook's request ³. As of that report, it was not clear whether Cook would agree to attend ³.

In an Oct. 13 letter to White House counsel Will Scharf, Cook's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, objected to what he called "demonstrably biased members" ⁴. He noted that Hassett had already suggested in public that Trump has "cause" to fire Cook ⁴.

We have significant concerns regarding the objectivity and fitness of the committee.

That same week, Trump told reporters that Cook "shouldn't be in an important position." He also called her "dishonest" and an "automatic no vote," apparently a reference to her votes on interest rates ⁴.

The White House says the process is fair. Spokesman Matthew Middleton said Trump "is performing his constitutional duty in evaluating Lisa Cook's conduct and eligibility" ⁴.

The President is going beyond what the Supreme Court required by offering Lisa Cook an in-person hearing

What Democrats say is really at stake

In her lawsuit, Cook argues that the mortgage claim is a pretext. She says Trump's real reason for trying to fire her is that she refused to vote for lower interest rates ³. If Trump removed her, he could name a replacement more open to rate cuts ².

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, issued a statement on Oct. 9, two days after the committee was created ⁷. She called the planned hearing a "kangaroo court" ⁶.

President Trump is convening an illegitimate show trial in his dangerous quest to illegally take over our nation's central bank.

Cook's record does not fit the picture of a reliable vote for easy money. She last voted for a rate cut in December 2025, and the Fed voted unanimously to raise rates in September ⁴. At the Oct. 28 meeting, when the Fed held rates steady, Cook dissented because she wanted a rate increase to help fight inflation ¹.

What to watch

The Fed's next rate-setting meeting is Dec. 8-9, and Cook is expected to take part as a sitting governor ¹. The White House hearing would follow on Dec. 14 ¹. Cook and the White House are still working out the "specifics and details" of how the inquiry will run ¹.

That matters because the Supreme Court's June ruling left Trump free to try again if he follows the proper steps ³. CNBC reported that the committee may be meant to show the courts that Cook has now been given that due process ³. If the panel recommends firing her, the fight is likely to go back to Judge Cobb's courtroom, and possibly back to the Supreme Court.

Her lawyers have said she wants the hearing. "Governor Cook welcomes the opportunity to present the facts so she can clear her name," Lowell and attorney Norm Eisen said when the committee was announced ⁶.

The Record

1. Jun 29, 2026The Supreme Court rules 5-4 that Trump did not give Cook due process and lets her keep her seat for now, without deciding whether he can ultimately fire her ⁸³.
2. Oct 7, 2026Trump creates a three-member White House committee to report whether there is 'cause' to remove Cook ⁶³.
3. Nov 4, 2026A White House official says Cook's hearing has moved from Nov. 5 to Dec. 14 at her request ³.
4. Nov 6, 2026The Justice Department and Cook's lawyers jointly ask Judge Jia Cobb to pause the case, with an update due in early January ¹.

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<h2>Justice Dept. and Fed&#39;s Lisa Cook ask judge to pause firing case until January</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Courts Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/justice-dept-and-fed-s-lisa-cook-ask-judge-to-pause-firing-case-until-january">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>On Friday, lawyers for the Justice Department and for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook asked U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb to put the court fight over President Trump&#39;s attempt to fire Cook on hold. They asked her to suspend upcoming deadlines and said they would give her an update in early January .</p> <p>The case is Cook v. Trump, No. 25-cv-2903, in the federal district court in Washington, D.C. . The request came three days after the Nov. 3 midterm election, in which Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate .</p> <p>The pause gives a White House &quot;committee of inquiry&quot; time to act first. Trump created that panel to decide whether he has &quot;cause&quot; to remove Cook. A White House official said the panel is set to meet Dec. 14 .</p> <h2>How the fight got here</h2> <p>The Federal Reserve, often called the Fed, is the nation&#39;s central bank. Its leaders set the interest rates that ripple through mortgages, credit cards and the interest paid on savings accounts. Under the law that governs the Fed, a president can fire a governor only &quot;for cause&quot; .</p> <p>Trump first tried to fire Cook in August 2025. He pointed to allegations that she made false statements involving &quot;one or more mortgage instruments&quot; . Cook has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime . Bloomberg describes the mortgage allegations as unproven .</p> <p>On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Cook could keep her seat for now. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a majority that also included Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented .</p> <p>The justices found that Trump had not given Cook notice and a fair chance to respond before he tried to remove her . They did not decide whether he can ultimately fire her . Roberts did stress how important it is for the Fed to stay free of political influence .</p> <blockquote><p>Whether a Governor should be removed, it is true, is a decision only the President can make (short of impeachment).</p><p>&mdash; John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States</p></blockquote> <h2>A White House panel, and a hearing pushed back</h2> <p>Trump started over in August . In an Oct. 7 memo, he created a three-member committee to look into the allegations . Its job is to tell him &quot;whether there is &#39;cause&#39; for Governor Cook&#39;s removal&quot; . The members are Kevin Hassett, Trump&#39;s top economic adviser; Andrea Lucas, who chairs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and Keith Sonderling, director of the Office of Government Ethics .</p> <p>The panel first scheduled a closed hearing for Nov. 5. A White House official said on Nov. 4 that it had been moved to Dec. 14 at Cook&#39;s request . As of that report, it was not clear whether Cook would agree to attend .</p> <p>In an Oct. 13 letter to White House counsel Will Scharf, Cook&#39;s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, objected to what he called &quot;demonstrably biased members&quot; . He noted that Hassett had already suggested in public that Trump has &quot;cause&quot; to fire Cook .</p> <blockquote><p>We have significant concerns regarding the objectivity and fitness of the committee.</p><p>&mdash; Abbe Lowell, attorney for Fed Governor Lisa Cook</p></blockquote> <p>That same week, Trump told reporters that Cook &quot;shouldn&#39;t be in an important position.&quot; He also called her &quot;dishonest&quot; and an &quot;automatic no vote,&quot; apparently a reference to her votes on interest rates .</p> <p>The White House says the process is fair. Spokesman Matthew Middleton said Trump &quot;is performing his constitutional duty in evaluating Lisa Cook&#39;s conduct and eligibility&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>The President is going beyond what the Supreme Court required by offering Lisa Cook an in-person hearing</p><p>&mdash; Matthew Middleton, White House spokesman</p></blockquote> <h2>What Democrats say is really at stake</h2> <p>In her lawsuit, Cook argues that the mortgage claim is a pretext. She says Trump&#39;s real reason for trying to fire her is that she refused to vote for lower interest rates . If Trump removed her, he could name a replacement more open to rate cuts .</p> <p>Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, issued a statement on Oct. 9, two days after the committee was created . She called the planned hearing a &quot;kangaroo court&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>President Trump is convening an illegitimate show trial in his dangerous quest to illegally take over our nation&#39;s central bank.</p><p>&mdash; Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator and ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, D-Massachusetts</p></blockquote> <p>Cook&#39;s record does not fit the picture of a reliable vote for easy money. She last voted for a rate cut in December 2025, and the Fed voted unanimously to raise rates in September . At the Oct. 28 meeting, when the Fed held rates steady, Cook dissented because she wanted a rate increase to help fight inflation .</p> <h2>What to watch</h2> <p>The Fed&#39;s next rate-setting meeting is Dec. 8-9, and Cook is expected to take part as a sitting governor . The White House hearing would follow on Dec. 14 . Cook and the White House are still working out the &quot;specifics and details&quot; of how the inquiry will run .</p> <p>That matters because the Supreme Court&#39;s June ruling left Trump free to try again if he follows the proper steps . CNBC reported that the committee may be meant to show the courts that Cook has now been given that due process . If the panel recommends firing her, the fight is likely to go back to Judge Cobb&#39;s courtroom, and possibly back to the Supreme Court.</p> <p>Her lawyers have said she wants the hearing. &quot;Governor Cook welcomes the opportunity to present the facts so she can clear her name,&quot; Lowell and attorney Norm Eisen said when the committee was announced .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/justice-dept-and-fed-s-lisa-cook-ask-judge-to-pause-firing-case-until-january">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/justice-dept-and-fed-s-lisa-cook-ask-judge-to-pause-firing-case-until-january.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance), “DOJ, Fed's Cook Seek Pause in Court Fight Over Trump Firing Push” (2026-11-06). finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/doj-fed-cook-seek-
2. AlterNet, “White House halts war on Trump foe after Tuesday drubbing” (2026-11-06). alternet.org/trump-cook-supreme-court/
3. CNBC, “White House panel delays hearing on Fed's Lisa Cook to Dec. 14” (2026-11-04). cnbc.com/2026/11/04/trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-hearing.
4. CNBC, “Lisa Cook lawyer doubts Trump committee's fairness as president calls her 'automatic no vote'” (2026-10-14). cnbc.com/2026/10/14/lisa-cook-trump-committee-hearing.html
5. AP (via Yahoo News), “Lawyers for Federal Reserve's Lisa Cook say White House hearing set up by Trump is 'biased'” (2026-10-14). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/lawyers-federal-reserves-li
6. Reuters (via HuffPost), “Trump Renews Bid To Fire Fed's Cook With Fresh White House Inquiry” (2026-10-09). huffpost.com/entry/trump-committee-to-probe-feds-lisa-cook_n
7. Senate Banking Committee (Minority), “Warren Statement on Trump Administration's Illegitimate Show Trial Into Fed Governor Lisa Cook” (2026-10-09). banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/warren-statement-on-tru
8. SCOTUSblog, “Court prevents Trump from firing Fed governor” (2026-06-29). scotusblog.com/2026/06/court-prevents-trump-from-firing-fed-

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