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The former president's government on Monday petitioned the nation's highest court to permit the removal of the head of the American copyright authority.

This emergency request follows about a month and a half after a national appellate court in Washington decided that the official, Shira Perlmutter, could not be solely dismissed.

Almost four weeks prior, the entire District of Columbia circuit court refused to review that decision.

This case is the most recent in a series of cases related to presidential power to place preferred heads at government agencies.

The High Court has mostly permitted such actions, even as court challenges proceed.

However, this specific matter concerns an bureau within the Library of Congress. Perlmutter acts as the register of copyrights and also advises Congress on intellectual property issues.

The government's top lawyer, D John Sauer, stated in the filing that, despite ties to the legislative branch, the register “exercises executive power” in regulating copyrights.

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

She allegedly received an email from the White House informing her that her position was “terminated starting at once,” according to her staff.

A split appeals court group decided that Perlmutter could retain her position while the legal dispute moves forward.

“The Executive's claimed blatant meddling with the duties of a Legislative Branch official, as she carries out statutorily approved duties to advise Congress, strikes us as a breach of the separation of powers,” wrote Judge Florence Pan for the appellate panel.

Judge J Michelle Childs supported the opinion. Both judges were nominated to the appellate court by Democratic leader Joe Biden.

In dissent, Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, wrote that Perlmutter “uses administrative power in a host of ways.”

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

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