NCUA Board members Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka join Chairman Kyle Hauptman on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka returned to their seats on the NCUA Board Thursday morning, just days after a federal court ruled their removals by President Trump were unlawful.
Their participation in the July 25 public board meeting marked the first time the NCUA Board has operated with a full complement of three members since April, when both were abruptly dismissed via email by the White House without cause.
Otsuka attended the board meeting in-person, while Harper joined the meeting virtually as he was in Georgia attending the AACUC annual conference in Alpharetta.
Harper, previously the Board’s chairman, opened his remarks Thursday with a light-hearted acknowledgment of his absence: “It’s been three months, did I miss anything?”
Concerning the three-month gap since the firings, Otsuka said, “I just want to say that I’m glad to be back to work and working with my fellow board members and NCUA staff again and engaging with credit unions and their members and the broader public.
“Congress has entrusted the NCUA with the responsibility to protect credit union members and the credit union system,” Otsuka continued.
“Our ability to do that job depends on a strong, independent agency that focuses on the long-term safety and stability of our financial system. I will continue to carry out the NCUA mission as I always have. I also plan on looking at the actions taken while we were gone, including several credit union liquidations and conservatorships ... personnel actions and rule-making reviews.
“We need to get back to work with a full NCUA Board. Our reinstatement on the NCUA Board is important for the millions of people who trust federally-insured credit unions with their hard-earned money and it’s also important for our entire financial system. Independent financial regulators are key to making sure we have confidence and stability in our markets and economy,” Otsuka concluded.
The return follows U.S. District Judge Amir Ali’s July 22 decision ordering their immediate reinstatement and barring agency leaders from obstructing their duties. The court found that Congress had insulated NCUA Board members from at-will removal, similar to protections in place for the Federal Reserve and FDIC.
While the Department of Justice has appealed the ruling and requested a stay, the judge allowed Harper and Otsuka to resume their roles as the appeal proceeds. The Thursday meeting proceeded without disruption, reflecting a return to normal operations for the agency.
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