Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's Past Actions, Including Call for Professor's Ouster, Draw Renewed Attention

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is facing renewed scrutiny over her past actions, including her prominent role in a 2020 controversy involving University of Chicago economist Harald Uhlig and recent allegations concerning her academic record. These issues have resurfaced, drawing attention to her approach to public discourse and scholarly integrity.

In the summer of 2020, amidst widespread protests, University of Chicago economics professor Harald Uhlig generated controversy with tweets that questioned the "Defund the Police" slogan. Uhlig's statements, which he described as a "polite, reasoned critique," quickly drew significant backlash from some academics and activists.

Among those who publicly criticized Uhlig was Lisa Cook, then a professor at Michigan State University. In a series of tweets, Cook called for Uhlig's removal as editor of the prestigious Journal of Political Economy and expressed hope that an ongoing investigation would "result in removing yr [sic] access to students." She also stated her belief that "free speech has its limits" and "should not be used to spread hatred."

Uhlig was temporarily placed on leave from his editorial role, but a University of Chicago investigation later found no basis for allegations of mistreatment of students, and he was reinstated. Uhlig subsequently penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled "The Fed Doesn't Need a Censor," reflecting on the incident during Cook's nomination to the Federal Reserve Board.

Beyond the "cancel culture" allegations, Cook has also faced claims of "academic fraud" or "careless scholarship." Reports have detailed instances where she allegedly copied verbatim language from other scholars without proper quotation marks in her papers. These instances, such as passages from Charles Calomiris and Jonathan Pritchett's work, appear to violate Michigan State University's academic standards.

Further allegations include self-plagiarism, where substantial portions of her own or co-authored material were reportedly recycled across different academic publications without sufficient new attribution. These academic integrity concerns have been highlighted by critics, particularly during her Senate confirmation hearings for the Federal Reserve Board.

The resurfacing of these past controversies underscores ongoing debates regarding academic freedom, the boundaries of public discourse, and the scrutiny faced by high-profile public servants. As a Federal Reserve Governor, Lisa Cook's record continues to be a point of discussion in broader political and academic circles.