WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — An appeals court upheld the firing of three Consumer Product Safety Commission members, reversing a Maryland federal district court's ruling that briefly reinstated them, and reinforcing presidential authority over the agency.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday ruled in favor of the New Civil Liberties Alliance brief, saying the constitution gave President Donald Trump authority to remove commissioners Mary T. Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, and Richard Trumpka Jr. in May 2025.
The Maryland court's decision briefly reinstated the commissioners a month later, but in July 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the decision in a 6-3 vote. In June 2026, the Supreme Court's Trump v. Slaughter decision overturned a 1935 court opinion that prevented the president from firing Federal Trade Commissioners at will. Because of this decision, the Fourth Circuit Court ruled Trump likewise can fire CPSC commissioners.
The Democratic commissioners voted in May 2025 to block Department of Government Efficiency representatives from entering CPSC headquarters to fire some staff employees. Later that day, the commissioners' terminations were announced via emails. The nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen then filed the civil lawsuit in the District Court of Maryland.
