Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook pushed back against the latest bid to remove her from the central bank, sending a five-page letter and exhibits to the White House on Wednesday to defend her actions in acquiring two properties in 2021.

After the Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump's quest to fire Cook, the White House issued a letter earlier this month stating the administration again intends to pursue her termination.

Cook was ordered to provide a written explanation within 21 days responding to allegations she made false claims on mortgage documents that may have secured her more favorable loan terms.

"Governor Cook has never committed mortgage fraud or any intentional wrongdoing, and there is no legally cognizable cause for removing her from the Federal Reserve Board," according to the letter addressed to White House counsel David Warrington.

Cook launched her legal battle on Aug. 28, 2025 , after Trump attempted to remove her from the Fed. She argued the attempt violated her right to due process, and that the government hadn't provided sufficient evidence to merit a removal "for cause," as required.

The administration's case stems from several mortgages Cook took out for homes in Michigan and Georgia. The White House alleges documents Cook signed listed both properties as primary residences.

"For the second time in a year, we have explained why there is no legal basis for President Trump to remove Governor Cook for cause," Cook's lawyers Abbe Lowell and Norman Eisen said. "These attacks on Governor Cook are not about real estate paperwork; they are an attempt by President Trump to force the Federal Reserve to bend to his will."

Cook's lawyers said they hoped the response would put the matter to rest once and for all, but are prepared to challenge any illegal attempt to remove Cook from the Fed.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Cook's submission.

In Wednesday's letter, Cook's attorneys state it was a "entirely inadvertent oversight" that the mortgage agreement for her Atlanta condominium was listed as a primary residence.

"An inadvertent oversight is not fraudulent or criminal," the letter notes.

No banking or mortgage professional could reliably conclude that Cook acted with an intent to deceive, her legal team contends, and points out that such mistakes are common.

"An inadvertent error is not fraud, as the President and a third of his cabinet should know because they reportedly did the same thing," Cook's attorneys state.

Additionally, the mortgage paperwork was prepared and provided to her by the lender. Cook also used the lender's website to seek information about a vacation home mortgage. The letter argues that shows there was a clear indication of the loan type she was looking to pursue.

Cook also regularly referred to her Michigan home as her primary residence and confirmed in other submissions and disclosures that her Atlanta property was a second home, the attorneys state.

Cook's legal team also contends the Atlanta mortgage was never sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, so it was up to the lender to ultimately classify the property as primary or secondary. And the letter notes that, despite the administration's allegations Cook received a preferential interest rate, there is no evidence of this.

The letter also takes issue with the administration's claims Cook's Atlanta property was a rental unit and she never disclosed the income.

"She never rented that residence, even though she would have been within her rights to do so," the letter notes. "Though Governor Cook briefly listed the property for rent, she ultimately decided not to rent it."

It is worth noting that all of the allegations against Cook center on conduct that took place before she became governor. She was appointed in 2022 by then-President Joe Biden to fill an unexpired term. She was reappointed in 2023 to her current term, which is set to end in January 2038.