President Donald Trump fired two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, carrying out another legally dubious power grab at an independent federal agency.
Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said on X that Trump had “illegally” removed him from the antitrust enforcement agency in the middle of his term, calling the move “corruption plain and simple.”
“[T]he president wants the FTC to be a lapdog for his golfing buddies,” said Bedoya, who did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, another Democratic commissioner, told The New York Times she had been fired mid-term as well. “Why? Because I have a voice. And he is afraid of what I’ll tell the American people,” Slaughter said in a statement.
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Until Tuesday, the commission, which normally has five commissioners, had two Democrats and two Republicans, along with one vacancy. Former Chair Lina Khan, a Democratic, stepped down shortly after Trump’s inauguration.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.