The Justice Department sued three members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s board, alleging they continue to exercise authority illegally after President Donald Trump removed them on 28 April. The filing in the federal district court in Washington seeks a court order ousting Laura Ross, Diane Kaplan and Sony Pictures executive Tom Rothman and voiding any board action they have taken since their dismissal. Tuesday’s suit follows a months-long standoff in which the CPB challenged the president’s power to remove directors. In June, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss denied the CPB’s request for a preliminary injunction but allowed the three to remain in place while the case proceeds, prompting the administration to initiate a separate quo warranto action to force their departure. Created by Congress in 1967, the CPB funnels roughly $500 million a year to the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and more than 1,500 local stations. The dispute comes as the Senate prepares to vote on a package that would claw back $1.1 billion in federal appropriations for the CPB, and after a May executive order by Trump aimed at sharply reducing public-media subsidies.