Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook sued President Trump on Thursday over his "unprecedented and illegal attempt” to remove her from her position.

She asked a judge to block her removal from the board to “safeguard” its congressionally mandated independence, allowing her and the Fed at large to “continue its critical work.”

“The operational independence of the Federal Reserve is vital to its ability to make sound economic decisions, free from the political pressures of an election cycle,” the complaint reads.

It sets up legal battle that could redefine the president’s power over an institution traditionally seen as independent from the political whims of the White House, a new front in Trump’s quest to expand executive control.

The Federal Reserve Act says the president

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