A federal judge blocked Trump’s firing of two Democrats from a privacy board, citing constitutional oversight concerns.

Federal Judge Rules Trump Overstepped Authority in Board Dismissals

In a sharp rebuke of executive overreach, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s administration cannot fire two Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board without cause. The ruling halts Trump’s February attempt to remove all three Democrats from the five-member panel, which oversees federal counterterrorism measures for compliance with privacy and civil liberties laws.

Judge Walton’s decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by two of the dismissed board members—Travis LeBlanc and Edward Felten—who argued that their terminations were unlawful and stripped the board of its ability to function. The third dismissed Democrat did not join the suit, as her term was set to expire two days after her removal.

“To hold otherwise would be to bless the President’s obvious attempt to exercise power beyond that granted to him by the Constitution,” Walton wrote in his ruling, “and shield the Executive Branch’s counterterrorism actions from independent oversight, public scrutiny, and bipartisan congressional insight regarding those actions.”

At the time of the firings, Trump’s move left only a single board member—a Republican—in place, far below the minimum quorum needed for the board to operate effectively. Walton stated that allowing at-will removal of members would render the board “beholden to the very authority it is supposed to oversee on behalf of Congress and the American people.”

The oversight board was established by Congress to serve as a check on federal counterterrorism powers, ensuring that government actions do not violate privacy or civil liberties. The board’s independence is central to its mission, and the court found that Trump’s actions jeopardized that autonomy.

The Trump administration defended the firings on constitutional grounds. White House spokesman Harrison Fields said, “The Constitution gives President Trump the power to remove personnel who exercise his executive authority.” He added that the administration “looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”

However, the court rejected that argument, emphasizing that unchecked executive dismissals of independent oversight bodies undermine the very purpose for which they were created. The plaintiffs’ legal team maintained that such firings could not be justified without clear cause, especially for a board designed to remain politically balanced and functionally autonomous.

By halting the dismissals, Walton preserved the ability of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to fulfill its statutory duties and maintain bipartisan representation. The case marks a significant constitutional checkpoint in the ongoing struggle over executive power and congressional oversight.