# Rebecca Kelly Slaughter

Type: Person

Source: Legal & RegTech Intelligence Brief — https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/rebecca-kelly-slaughter
Canonical HTML page: https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/rebecca-kelly-slaughter

## Timeline

- **2026-06-29**: Supreme Court Overturns Humphrey — In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upholds the firing, overruling the 91-year precedent and expanding presidential removal power.
- **2026-06-29**: Supreme Court rules on Slaughter and Cook — Court issues decisions: 6-3 ruling overturns Humphrey’s Executor for most agencies, while separately limiting presidential removal of Fed governors.
- **2026-06-29**: SCOTUS rules in Cook case — In a 5-4 decision, the Court denies a stay, allowing Fed board member Lisa Cook to continue serving while her challenge to President Trump's removal proceeds.
- **2026-06-29**: SCOTUS rules in Trump v. Slaughter — The Court reverses and remands, holding that the president can remove FTC member Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, directly challenging the Humphrey's Executor precedent.
- **2025-06**: Lower Court Rules Firing Unlawful — A lower federal court rules the firing unlawful under Humphrey's Executor, reinstating Slaughter.
- **2025-03**: Slaughter Fired Without Cause — President Trump fires Slaughter, stating her continued service is inconsistent with administration priorities.
- **2025**: Trump fires FTC Commissioner Slaughter — President Trump removes Rebecca Kelly Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission without cause, challenging the 1935 precedent.
- **2018**: Slaughter Appointed — Rebecca Kelly Slaughter is appointed to the FTC by President Trump to fill a Democratic seat.
- **1935-05-27**: Humphrey's Executor v. United States decided — The Supreme Court upholds for-cause removal protections for FTC commissioners, creating a key exception to unitary executive control.
- **1935**: Humphrey's Executor Decided — Supreme Court unanimously upholds for-cause removal protections for FTC commissioners, distinguishing quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial roles.
- **1935**: Humphrey’s Executor established — Supreme Court precedent held that presidents cannot remove commissioners of independent agencies without cause.
- **1914**: FTC Created — Congress establishes the Federal Trade Commission with commissioners removable only for inefficiency, neglect, or malfeasance.

## Recent coverage (3 stories)

### SCOTUS 5-4 Rulings: Cook Stays at Fed, Slaughter Ousted from FTC as Precedent Overturned
2026-07-27 06:18:14 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

The Supreme Court issued a fractured pair of rulings on presidential removal power, allowing Fed's Lisa Cook to remain while FTC's Rebecca Slaughter was removed, directly overturning the 91-year-old Humphrey’s Executor precedent. This split decision redefines the contours of independent agency protections and portends a wave of litigation over the unitary executive theory.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/scotus-cook-slaughter-removal-power-2026

### 6-3 SCOTUS Ruling Ends 1935 Precedent, Gives President Unfettered Firing Power
2026-07-12 11:57:42 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 2

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in *Slaughter v. Trump* dismantles the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor doctrine, granting the president at-will removal power over independent agency heads. A separate ruling preserves the Fed’s insulation, creating a fractured precedent for administrative law. The decisions reshape constitutional separation-of-powers analysis and raise urgent questions about the future of regulatory independence.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/supreme-court-removal-power-humphrey-executor-2026

### 6-3 SCOTUS Ruling Topples 91-Year Precedent, Redefining Agency Independence
2026-07-12 00:42:56 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 5

A constitutional analysis of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Humphrey's Executor, ending for-cause removal protections for independent agency heads and adopting a strong unitary executive theory. The ruling fundamentally shifts administrative law and separation of powers.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/scotus-overturns-humphreys-executor-agency-independence

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