‘Still a target’: How Cook’s war with Trump has revived her nightmare confirmation

Lisa Cook is no stranger to attacks from the right.

As the Federal Reserve governor prepares for a high-stakes legal clash with President Donald Trump, where the future of the central bank’s independence is potentially at risk, her allies see echoes of the grueling Senate confirmation hearing that led to her becoming the first Black woman to join the Fed three years ago.

“They questioned her background, they questioned her expertise, they questioned whether she was qualified to serve,” said Lisa Rice, the president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, who pushed to rally support for Cook’s nomination. “She was a target. And she’s still a target.”

Trump and top administration officials say Cook defrauded mortgage lenders by providing false information on lending documents. Those allegations, which were first surfaced by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, are now the subject of a Justice Department probe. Trump said “deceitful and potentially criminal conduct” provided “sufficient cause” for his stunning decision to fire Cook on Monday night.