Trump supporters demand the Federal Reserve's closed-door meetings be made public, judge dismisses!

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has dismissed a request from an investment firm led by supporters of President Trump that sought to make public the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting held this Tuesday.

Azoria Capital, led by James Fishback, sued Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and other Fed officials last week, claiming that the Fed's practice of holding closed-door monetary policy meetings for decades violates the Sunshine in Government Act, which mandates transparency for federal agencies.

U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell stated during a hearing on Monday that the Sunshine Act does not apply to FOMC meetings. She dismissed Azoria Capital's request for an emergency order to disclose the July 29 meeting, citing the company's low likelihood of success.

Fishback, founder and CEO of Azoria Capital, issued a statement via email after the ruling:

Azoria will continue to pursue the lawsuit, fighting for transparency and accountability for all Americans.

The FOMC meets eight times a year to decide on interest rate policy and issues a statement immediately after each meeting. Fed Chairman Powell typically holds a press conference about half an hour after the statement is released, taking questions from reporters for about an hour.

Fishback recently established a political action committee called "Fully Support Trump" (FSD) and has actively called for Powell to lower interest rates. In the lawsuit, Azoria argued that making FOMC meetings public is a necessary prerequisite for determining whether Powell or other Fed officials are influenced by political factors in setting interest rate policy.

The case is Azoria Capital v. Powell (Case No. 25-cv-02388), heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington)