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

This urgent appeal follows about six weeks after a national appellate court in Washington decided that the director, Shira Perlmutter, could not be unilaterally fired.

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

This legal matter is the latest in a line of cases related to presidential authority to appoint preferred leaders at federal agencies.

The Supreme Court has generally allowed such dismissals, even as legal disputes continue.

However, this particular matter concerns an office inside the Library of Congress. Perlmutter serves as the register of copyrights and also advises Congress on intellectual property matters.

The government's top lawyer, D John Sauer, argued in the filing that, despite connections to Congress, the register “exercises administrative authority” in overseeing copyrights.

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

She reportedly got an email from the White House notifying her that her position was “terminated starting at once,” according to her office.

A divided appeals court group ruled that Perlmutter could retain her position while the case moves forward.

“The administration's alleged obvious meddling with the work of a congressional official, as she carries out legally approved responsibilities to advise Congress, appears to be a violation of the division of government authority,” wrote Judge Florence Pan for the appellate panel.

Judge J Michelle Childs joined the opinion. Both justices were appointed to the appeals court by Democrat leader Joe Biden.

In opposition, Justice Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, argued that Perlmutter “exercises executive authority in a host of ways.”

Perlmutter's attorneys have argued that she is a renowned intellectual property expert. She has acted as register of copyrights since ex- librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed her to the role in October 2020.

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