Rebecca Kelly Slaughter

A federal appeals court has ruled that Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner removed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, can be temporarily reinstated. The decision marks a significant setback for Trump’s effort to curb the power of independent federal regulators.

Slaughter, along with fellow Democratic commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, was fired by Trump in March. In July, a district court ordered Slaughter’s reinstatement, but the Justice Department quickly secured an emergency stay blocking that move. On Tuesday, the appeals court lifted the stay in a 2-1 ruling and also rejected the administration’s request to accelerate the …