Trump forms committee to investigate Lisa Cook in renewed attempt to fire Fed governor

The White House panel will hold a closed-door November hearing over mortgage allegations the Federal Reserve governor denies.

President Donald Trump has appointed a three-member panel to investigate allegations of mortgage fraud against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook as he renews his attempt to remove her. The investigation follows a June Supreme Court ruling keeping her in office and her lawyers’ earlier rebuttal of the accusations.

Trump’s Oct. 7 memorandum directs Cook to attend a closed-door White House hearing on Nov. 5 that will last no more than four hours. She may bring counsel, submit evidence and written witness statements, and answer the panel’s questions. The hearing will be transcribed, according to the Associated Press.

The committee includes White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas and acting Office of Government Ethics Director Keith Sonderling. It will assess whether the allegations constitute “cause” for Cook’s removal. She can submit a final written statement by Nov. 10, after which the panel will recommend whether Trump should dismiss her.

The dispute began last August when Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accused Cook of listing homes in Michigan and Georgia as primary residences in 2021 mortgage documents. Such declarations can affect borrowing terms.

Cook denies wrongdoing, and her lawyers say the Atlanta designation was an inadvertent notation contradicted by other records. She has not been charged with a crime.

Trump tried to fire Cook that same month. In June, the Supreme Court allowed her to remain in office while the case continued, ruling that federal law required notice and an opportunity to respond before her removal. The justices said the standard for removal must consider the seriousness of alleged misconduct and its connection to a Fed governor’s duties. They did not determine whether Cook had committed misconduct or whether Trump could ultimately remove her.

Cook’s attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, questioned whether the White House process would be fair given Trump’s repeated statements about firing her. They said Cook welcomes the opportunity to present evidence and clear her name.