Under the law, presidents can only fire FTC commissioners in the case of “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.” As Bedoya says, there’s no indication Trump’s stooges even tried to allege any of those things as a pretext for firing him.

Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, the two Democrats on the Federal Trade Commission, said they were 'illegally' fired Tuesday.

President Donald Trump fired the FTC's only two Democratic commissioners, prompting a hearing Wednesday on claims that they were terminated illegally. Democrat FTC commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter alleged that Trump criminally terminated them as a White House official confirmed their dismissals but did not provide further details.