The U.S. Supreme Court decides that the president is free to fire the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau without cause. The ruling rejects a federal law that sought to place limits on presidential oversight of independent agencies. Under the bureau’s leadership structure, the director is appointed by the president to a five-year term and cannot be dismissed without a substantial reason in order to protect the bureau’s independence. In the 5-4 ruling in Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Court said the agency’s structure violates the Constitution’s separation-of-powers design.