A federal judge ruled on Friday that the dismissal of three Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) members appointed by President Biden was unlawful, allowing them to return to their positions.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox, who has previously served as a presidential appointee in Maryland, mandated the restoration of their salaries and access to office resources, including computers and email accounts.
The commissioners involved—Mary Boyle, Alexander Horn Salic, and Richard Trumka Jr.—sued after President Trump terminated their appointments last month.
Maddox’s decision adds to the growing trend among federal judges who have blocked Trump’s attempts to dismiss Democratic appointees in independent agencies, even though federal law typically protects against arbitrary removal.
Despite the administration’s rationale, which claimed a legal violation regarding removal protections, the President had not originally intended to let go of the CPSC members or others within similar agencies.
There appears to be some alignment on this issue within the conservative majority of the Supreme Court, although they have not yet formally overturned a long-standing precedent allowing for these removal protections provided by Congress.
Recently, the National Supreme Court lifted a lower court injunction that had previously impeded Trump’s attempts to fire officials from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), suggesting that those leaders could be dismissed pending the outcome of an appeal.
Maddox acknowledged this ruling but clarified that it differed from his case. He noted that the Supreme Court’s decision had to do with the fluctuating status of NLRB and MSPB leadership during the court proceedings and did not question the constitutionality of the existing removal protections.
“If the plaintiffs had been reinstated while the case was still pending, it could have created confusion, but now that the court has provided permanent injunctive relief, that risk is no longer an issue,” the judge stated.
The Department of Justice was contacted for a response.
Lead attorney Nick Sanson, representing the commissioners and advocating for public interests, remarked that this ruling reinforces the idea that the President is not above the law.
“Congress created the CPSC as an independent body to protect American consumers from political and corporate influences,” Sanson added. “This ruling stands firm on that legislative intent.” He concluded with enthusiasm, “We’re excited to return to safeguarding the public from unsafe products.”
