Lisa Cook

Lisa DeNell Cook (born 1964) is an American economist who was sworn in as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2022. She is the first black woman to sit on the Board. Before her appointment to the Federal Reserve Board, she was elected in January 2022 to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. She was also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Cook was previously a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University and a member of the American Economic Association's Executive Committee. An authority on international economics, especially the Russian economy, she has been involved in advising policymakers from the Obama Administration to the Nigerian and Rwandan governments. Her research is at the intersection of macroeconomics and economic history, with recent work in African-American history and innovation economics. Cook is regarded as one of the few prominent black female economists and has attracted attention within academia for her efforts in mentoring black women and advocating for their inclusion in the field of economics. On January 14, 2022, Joe Biden nominated Cook to serve as Federal Reserve governor; she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 10 after a 50–50 vote was broken by a tie breaker vote by Kamala Harris, and took office on May 23, 2022. On August 15, 2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, and sent a referral letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the matter, encouraging that an investigation be launched by the Department of Justice. In September 2025, U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin started a Department of Justice criminal investigation of Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud. However, on September 12, Reuters published an analysis of "loan [and] job-vetting forms" submitted by Cook, as well as property records, which directly contradict the Trump administration's allegations against her. On August 25, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that he was removing Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, citing alleged "deceitful and potentially criminal conduct". Federal law allows governors to be removed only "for cause", a provision intended to protect the central bank’s independence. Cook disputed the allegations and filed suit in federal court, arguing that her dismissal was unlawful and politically motivated. As litigation proceeds, she remains legally considered an active governor, pending a judicial ruling on whether the president had authority to remove her.