More than a dozen of the most influential U.S. economic officials of the past three decades are urging the Supreme Court to allow Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook to stay on the board of the central bank.

In a brief filed Thursday, a group of former Fed chairs, Treasury Department secretaries and top White House economists spanning both Democratic and Republican administrations urged the court to block President Trump’s attempt to immediately remove Cook from the Fed.

The officials argued that allowing Trump to fire Cook would threaten the Fed’s independence, damage the public’s trust in the bank and weaken its ability to keep the U.S. economy stable.

They urged the court not to force Cook off the Fed board until the court decides whether Trump’s effort was legally valid, warning that not doing so “would expose the Federal Reserve to political influences,........

© The Hill