D.C. District Court reinstates NCUA board members fired by Trump

A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate two fired Democratic board members of the National Credit Union Administration, finding their April terminations were unlawful.

On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declared the terminations of NCUA Board members Todd M. Harper and Tanya F. Otsuka to be “unlawful,” finding that Congress had insulated the NCUA Board members “from at-will removal.” The court found that protection from being fired is “consistent with the separation of powers,” largely because the multimember NCUA board “does not wield substantial executive power.”

“Harper and Otsuka remain members of the NCUA Board and may be removed by the President prior to the expiration of their terms only for cause,” District Court Judge…