CPSC firings spark legal fight as Trump continues ousting independent officials
By 
Oscar Gonzalez2025-05-23T16:19:00
Three former commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission who were fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month have filed a lawsuit against the government over their dismissal. The move joins many more court battles over Trump’s sudden slashing of government agencies, which some courts have deemed illegal, blocking or reversing the moves. Still, the Trump administration is continuing to target people who are seen as not loyal to the president.
Commissioners Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, and Richard Trumka Jr. filed their lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on May 21. The filing says their terminations were unlawful and ”violate statutory restrictions on the President’s removal authority, and any attempt to implement them exceeds the legal authority of those individuals who act on the President’s behalf.”
The lawsuit recounts the events of May 8 and 9, when staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) informed the commissioners of their termination. There was no explanation for the action or any indicator that the fired commissioners had committed any malfeasance.
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