Trump Renews Effort to Remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook

President Trump is again moving to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, just over a month after the Supreme Court blocked his earlier attempt to remove her.

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino sent a letter to Cook this week demanding she respond to allegations that she made false statements on mortgage applications. The claims were first raised by Trump ally William Pulte, who oversees the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"Even if your conduct does not rise to the level of felony offense, it appears to demonstrate a level of gross negligence in financial transactions that calls into question your competence and trustworthiness as a financial regulator," Scavino wrote.

Cook has denied any wrongdoing. Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement: "These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve. There is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook. As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed."

The renewed push was first reported by ABC News.

Trump's earlier effort to oust Cook came as he was sharply critical of the central bank for not cutting interest rates more aggressively. He also threatened to fire Jerome Powell, who was then chairman of the Fed. Powell's term as chair expired in May, though he continues to serve on the board.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Federal Reserve occupies a special place in the U.S. government and that presidents may remove Fed governors only for cause. It will fall to lower courts to decide whether the allegations against Cook meet that standard.

No charges have been filed against Cook, and the allegations remain unproven.