African Methodist Episcopal Church Statement of Support for Federal Reserve Governor Dr. Lisa D. Cook

Dr. Cook is a member of Bethel AME Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

We, the Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, stand with Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook, a member of Bethel AME Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan, in her fight against the attempt by President Trump to remove her from her position as a Federal Reserve Board of Governors without due process.

Dr. Cook is an African American economist who was sworn in as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2022 and the first Black woman to sit on the Board. Before her appointment to the Federal Reserve Board, she was elected in January 2022 to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago. She was also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

On August 20, Trump posted on Truth Social a call for Cook's resignation. Later that day, Cook rejected the demand, saying she would not be pressured to leave her post over "some questions raised in a tweet" and promised "to take any questions about her financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve."

On August 25, Trump announced that he fired Cook, ostensibly for cause. In a response, Cook said, "President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so." Cook has stated that she has no plan to resign and has filed a lawsuit in response. Cook's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said that "President Trump has taken to social media to once again fire 'by tweet' and once again his reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority. We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action".

Trump's attempt to fire Cook is the latest in a clear series of attacks on African American women in positions of authority at the federal, state, and local levels. Black women have been disproportionately represented in those fired by this administration, and we take notice of what "Make America Great Again" clearly means.

Governor Cook deserves due process. We call upon members of the AME Church and our ecumenical partners to join us in prayer for her and her family so that they will have the resolve needed in this fight for justice. We continue our appeal to our members and friends to be watchful and continue their advocacy for adherence to the rule of law and the defense of the norms of democracy in the United States.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version)

Bishop Silvester S. Beaman, President, Council of Bishops of the AME Church

Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah, Senior Bishop

Bishop Frederick Alan Wright, Presiding Prelate, 4th Episcopal District of the AME Church (States of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan; countries of Canada and India)

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Contact:

John Thomas III

African Methodist Episcopal Church

[email protected]

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