United President Donald Trump has ordered the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook amid unproven claims of mortgage fraud.

In a letter posted on social media on Monday night, Trump said Cook was being sacked “effective immediately” in accordance with his powers under the US constitution and the 1913 Federal Reserve Act.

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Citing allegations made last week by the US federal mortgage regulator, Trump said there was “sufficient reason to believe you may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements.”

“The Federal Reserve has tremendous responsibility for setting interest rates and regulating reserve and members banks,” Trump said in the letter, which was shared on his platform Truth Social.

“The American people must be able to have full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve. In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity.”

The extraordinary move is set to raise further questions about the independence of the US central bank, which has been under intense pressure from Trump to lower interest rates.

In a letter to addressed to US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Justice official Ed Martin earlier this month, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, a staunch Trump ally, alleged that Cook listed two properties as her primary home addresses.

The Federal Reserve did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

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