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The ex- leader's administration on Monday petitioned the US Supreme Court to allow the termination of the director of the American copyright authority.

This emergency request comes about a month and a half after a federal appeals court in Washington decided that the director, Shira Perlmutter, could not be solely fired.

Nearly four weeks prior, the full District of Columbia circuit court declined to review that decision.

This legal matter is the latest in a line of disputes related to executive power to appoint preferred heads at government offices.

The Supreme Court has generally permitted such actions, even as legal disputes proceed.

However, this particular case involves an bureau inside the Library of Congress. Perlmutter serves as the register of copyrights and also counsels Congress on copyright matters.

The government's top lawyer, D John Sauer, argued in the filing that, regardless of ties to the legislative branch, the register “exercises executive authority” in regulating intellectual property rights.

Perlmutter alleges she was fired in May because the former president disagreed with advice she gave to lawmakers in a report related to AI.

She reportedly received an message from the White House notifying her that her role was “terminated starting at once,” as stated by her staff.

A divided appellate group decided that Perlmutter could retain her job while the case proceeds.

“The Executive's claimed obvious interference with the work of a Legislative Branch official, as she performs statutorily approved duties to advise Congress, appears to be a breach of the separation of powers,” wrote Justice Florence Pan for the appellate panel.

Justice J Michelle Childs joined the opinion. Both justices were nominated to the appeals court by Democratic leader Joe Biden.

In opposition, Justice Justin Walker, a former president's nominee, wrote that Perlmutter “uses administrative authority in a variety of ways.”

Perlmutter's attorneys have argued that she is a well-known copyright specialist. She has acted as copyright director since ex- librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed her to the role in October 2020.

The former president appointed deputy attorney general Todd Blanche to replace Hayden at the Library of Congress. The administration had fired Hayden amid complaints from right-leaning groups that she was advancing a “progressive” agenda.