South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general to support the President’s authority over executive branch officials. The group filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, defending the President’s constitutional at-will removal authority.
The action comes as part of three cases: Bessent v. Dellinger, Storch v. Hegseth, and Wilcox v. Trump. These cases emphasize the importance of separation of powers and state sovereignty by supporting President Trump’s ability to hire and fire cabinet officials within both the executive branch and independent agencies.
Attorney General Wilson stated, “The Constitution gives the President clear authority to manage the executive branch, and that includes removing officials who no longer have his confidence.” He further explained that interference from Congress or courts disrupts accountability expected by citizens.
The coalition consists of states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia. They argue that maintaining independent executive officers free from Presidential oversight could threaten the Federalist system. Recent Supreme Court rulings such as Seila Law v. CFPB underscore this perspective by affirming the President’s plenary removal power.
Wilson emphasized their commitment by stating: “We’ve joined this battle three times now because it’s critical to our system of government.” He affirmed South Carolina’s stance in defending presidential authority and maintaining checks on power.
