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The ex- president's administration on Monday requested the nation's highest court to allow the removal of the head of the US Copyright Office.

This emergency appeal follows roughly six weeks after a federal appellate court in Washington ruled that the official, Shira Perlmutter, cannot be solely dismissed.

Nearly four weeks prior, the entire District of Columbia appeals court refused to reconsider that ruling.

This legal matter is the most recent in a series of cases related to presidential power to place chosen heads at federal offices.

The Supreme Court has generally allowed such dismissals, even as legal disputes continue.

However, this particular case concerns an office inside the national library. Perlmutter acts as the register of copyrights and also advises Congress on copyright issues.

The solicitor general, D John Sauer, argued in the legal document that, despite connections to Congress, the director “wields administrative power” in overseeing copyrights.

Perlmutter alleges she was fired in May because the ex-leader disagreed with advice she provided to lawmakers in a document concerning AI.

She allegedly got an message from the administration informing her that her role was “terminated starting immediately,” according to her office.

A split appellate panel ruled that Perlmutter could keep her position while the legal dispute moves forward.

“The Executive's alleged obvious interference with the duties of a congressional officer, as she performs statutorily authorized responsibilities to advise the legislature, appears to be a violation of the separation of powers,” wrote Judge Florence Pan for the appellate panel.

Justice J Michelle Childs supported the ruling. Both judges were appointed to the appeals court by Democrat leader Joe Biden.

In opposition, Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, argued that Perlmutter “uses executive power in a host of manners.”

Perlmutter's attorneys have argued that she is a renowned intellectual property expert. She has served as copyright director since ex- head librarian Carla Hayden selected her to the role in October 2020.

The ex-leader appointed assistant attorney general Todd Blanche to replace Hayden at the national library. The White House had fired Hayden following criticism from right-leaning groups that she was advancing a “woke” program.