Lisa Cook lawyer doubts fairness of Trump committee, says hearing can't be before December

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, sent a letter Tuesday to Will Scharf, a White House aide and counsel to President Donald Trump, arguing that the committee probing mortgage fraud allegations against Cook is not positioned to hold a fair hearing. Lowell cited the panel's 'demonstrably biased members' and 'unspecified additional allegations' as problems that would need to be resolved first. He also said the earliest any hearing could take place would be December, after the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The letter followed Trump's weekend remarks in which he called Cook 'dishonest' and described her as an 'automatic no vote,' apparently referencing her reluctance to cut interest rates. Trump also said Cook 'shouldn't be in an important position.' Cook last voted to cut rates in December 2025, siding with the majority; the Fed unanimously voted to raise rates after its most recent meeting in September.

An in-person hearing at the White House is currently set for Nov. 5 under Trump's Oct. 7 memo that created a three-member committee of inquiry into Cook. Lowell told Scharf that Cook cannot attend that date because she will be carrying out official duties at financial and monetary policy meetings in Europe, then immediately preparing for the FOMC's early-December meeting. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC when asked whether the hearing would be moved.

Lowell also challenged the committee's objectivity, noting it is made up of three executive branch officials, including top Trump economic aide Kevin Hassett. He pointed to Hassett's August 2025 comments that appeared to suggest Trump already had 'cause' to fire Cook and accused her of taking a partisan stance against Fed independence. According to Lowell, those remarks indicate Hassett has prejudged the case and undercut assurances that the hearing would be substantive and fair.

White House spokesman Matthew Middleton defended the process, saying Trump 'is performing his constitutional duty in evaluating Lisa Cook's conduct and eligibility to continue serving as a governor on the Federal Reserve.' Middleton added that the Constitution requires the conduct of Fed Board members to be above reproach, and that Trump is exceeding what the Supreme Court required by offering Cook an in-person hearing in a fair and open process.

The Supreme Court in late June blocked Trump's first attempt to remove Cook, ruling that she had not received sufficient due process under federal law. Trump revived his effort and established the committee two months later. Cook's legal team has said she welcomes the chance to present facts and clear her name, though Lowell's letter outlined conditions he said must be met before any hearing.