Attorney General Charity Clark has joined a group of 23 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief supports a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner who is contesting what the coalition calls President Trump’s illegal attempt to remove her without cause.
The attorneys general emphasize the FTC’s history, noting its over 100-year role in protecting Americans from scams and fraud and recovering billions for consumers harmed by unfair or deceptive practices. They attribute much of this success to the agency’s bipartisan leadership structure, which they say ensures well-reasoned decisions and expertise that state attorneys general rely on.
According to their filing, “That strong track record, Attorney General Clark and the attorneys general argue in their brief, is due in large part to the bipartisan structure of the agency’s leadership, which fosters well-reasoned decision making and provides expertise that many state attorneys general rely on to do their work.”
The coalition requests that the Supreme Court uphold a lower court decision ordering reinstatement of the commissioner. The brief states that allowing presidential removal of commissioners would undermine the FTC’s function as an expert and bipartisan body. “The coalition argues that permitting President Trump to remove the commissioners would destroy the FTC’s role as an expert and bipartisan agency.”
Other states represented in this filing include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State and Wisconsin.
A copy of the brief is available on Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark’s website.
