Ousted head of Copyright Office challenges Trump administration in court

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

05/22/2025 10:56 PM EDT


The former head of the U.S. Copyright Office has filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing her abrupt ouster from the position violated the Constitution’s separation of powers.

Shira Perlmutter was fired by the White House in early May, just days after the administration dismissed the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. Her suit, filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, says only Hayden could legally have terminated her from the post.

“Congress vested the Librarian of Congress—not the President—with the power to appoint, and therefore to remove, the Register of Copyrights,” the lawsuit said. “Accordingly, the President’s attempt to remove Ms. Perlmutter was unlawful and ineffective.” Hayden had served atop the Library of Congress since the Senate confirmed her appointment in a 74-18 vote in 2016. She chose Perlmutter to run the copyright office in 2020.

Those named in the suit include Todd Blanche, Trump’s pick to replace Hayden at the Library of Congress; Sergio Gor, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office; and Paul Perkins, who the administration tapped to replace Perlmutter as register of copyrights.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/22/copyright-office-challenges-trump-administration-00367020

---

Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://tmsnrt.rs/3H6T8iE

[SpankMe]

1. Someone educate me

If the Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights are under the legislative branch, how can the president fire them? Does the executive branch handle legislative's HR and pay processing, thus giving the executive leverage over legislative personnel via their paychecks? Wouldn't this be a separation of powers issue if true?

If the governor of a state tried to fire, say, the parliamentarian of the state's legislature, that parliamentarian could just say "no, I'm not leaving" and be safe.

But, if the governor had control over the payroll system, he or she could just stop paying the parliamentarian and turn off their badge for accessing buildings and computer systems and "fire" them that way if they refused to leave. That's clearly a separation of powers issue.

Does the legislative have their own payment and badging/access system separate from the executive? Or, is all that under OPM as well. And if it is all under OPM, then how can the president have sole control over this? Shouldn't this be a joint responsibility with the legislative?

And what about the judiciary? Who pays them? I know the congress can dissolve courts (except for the supreme court) but can the president "fire" individual judges by cancelling their pay, benefits and access? Are judges paid via the OPM?

I need a lecture on this.

[FakeNoose]

2. Good! I'm glad somebody is fighting back

Apparently Ms. Perlmutter isn't Chumpy enough, but that shouldn't matter. I hope she wins.