ANKARA

A federal appeals court has reinstated a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), ruling that President Donald Trump acted unlawfully when he fired her earlier this year.

Trump dismissed commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and fellow Democratic commissioner Alvaro Bedoya in March. A district court had ordered Slaughter’s return in July, but the Justice Department obtained an emergency stay.

In a 2-1 decision Tuesday, the appeals court lifted that stay, saying “the government has no likelihood of success on appeal” under a 1935 Supreme Court precedent that shields FTC commissioners from getting fired by the president “at will.”

Founded in 1914, the FTC is a consumer protection and antitrust agency that enforces rules against unfair business practices and monopolies.

Slaughter said the ruling confirms Trump “is not above the law” and pledged to return to work immediately, according to CNN. Meanwhile, the White House defended the president’s actions, saying past Supreme Court decisions gave him authority to remove agency leaders.

The decision is seen as a setback for Trump’s broader push to rein in independent watchdogs.