Former NTSB Vice Chair Sues Trump Over Removal

Alvin Brown was appointed by former President Joe Biden and dismissed in May after the change in administrations.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, June 05, 2025 at 03:00 PM ET

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Zach Vasile

A former member of the National Transportation Safety Board is suing President Donald Trump. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Alvin Brown, the former Vice Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is suing President Donald Trump, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, and the agency over his dismissal.
The lawsuit claims Brown's removal in May 2025 was illegal, arguing that presidents cannot remove NTSB members at will but only for specific causes like inefficiency or malfeasance, which were not applicable to him.
Brown's legal action contends that his dismissal undermines the NTSB's intended independence from political pressure and seeks to have his removal declared unlawful and be reinstated to his post, which was scheduled to end in December 2026.

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The ousted former vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board is suing President Donald Trump over his removal.

Alvin Brown, who was dismissed by the White House in May, filed a lawsuit this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Trump, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, and the agency. It accuses the defendants of undermining the agency’s independence and interfering with its duties.