The Supreme Court stayed a lower court's ruling on Monday, permitting the removal of a Democratic Federal Trade Commission board member amid litigation over President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her.

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court stayed a lower court's ruling on Monday, permitting the removal of a Democratic Federal Trade Commission board member amid litigation over President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her.

Chief Justice Roberts issued the brief administrative stay to a mid-July order by a district court that found Trump's move to fire FTC board member Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was illegal.

No reason for the stay was given by Roberts, who ordered responses to his decision be filed by the afternoon of Sept. 15, as the case continues.

Former chief counsel to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Slaughter was nominated to the FTC by Trump in 2018, during his first administration. President Joe Biden then designated her as acting chair of the FTC and later re-nominated her for a new term. The Senate confirmed her to a second seven-year term in March 2024.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has conducted a rash of firings throughout the government, affecting even traditionally independent agencies such as the FTC, as part of a federal overhaul to consolidate power under the executive branch.

Trump moved to fire Slaughter and another Democratic FTC commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, in March.

Slaughter responded by suing the federal government, accusing Trump of illegally trying to fire her without cause despite congressionally approved protections put in place to prevent such actions.

On July 17, a district court granted Slaughter a summary judgment, declaring that her removal was unlawful under the Federal Trade Commission Act and ordered her reinstatement.

Last week, an appeals court rejected the Trump administration's request for a stay as it appealed the district court's decision.

The Trump administration then took its request for a stay to the Supreme Court, which was granted Monday.

In its request to the high court, the Trump administration cited a May decision from the justices, which allowed the White House to remove two Democratic board members of independent oversight agencies as it sought to fire them, too.

The Justice Department on Thursday filed a petition in favor of Slaughter's firing.