President Trump's attempt to fire a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission was given a boost today, as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts granted a stay that temporarily blocks a lower-court ruling against Trump.
The Supreme Court hasn't ruled on the merits of the case. Today's order from Roberts stayed the lower-court ruling "pending further order of The Chief Justice or of the Court." Roberts set a September 15 deadline for Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the Democrat who was fired from the FTC, to file a response to the government's motion for a longer-term stay.
Slaughter beat Trump last week in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which affirmed a District Court ruling that Trump violated US law and Supreme Court precedent with her firing. Slaughter was back in her office temporarily. Her name was re-added to the FTC website's list of commissioners after last week's ruling, but was off the list again as of today.
The Department of Justice submitted an application to stay the judgment along with a request for an administrative stay that would put the lower-court ruling on hold while the Supreme Court considers the stay application. Slaughter filed an opposition to the request for an administrative stay and now has until next week to submit a more thorough response.
Trump fired Slaughter along with fellow Democrat Alvaro Bedoya in March, leaving the FTC with only Republican commissioners. They both challenged the firings, but Bedoya's claims were dismissed as moot in July after he decided to formally resign and seek other employment.