A lawyer for Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook said she wasn't available to attend the Nov. 5 White House hearing that President Trump ordered as part of his renewed effort to potentially fire her, because she will be in Europe on Fed business. The letter said the earliest she could appear is December, after the central bank's final scheduled policy meeting of the year.

In a letter Tuesday to White House counsel William Scharf, Cook's attorney Abbe Lowell also questioned the fairness of the three-member committee Trump appointed to weigh the mortgage-fraud allegations against her. He singled out Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and referred to remarks he has made implying Trump had cause to fire Cook.

Lowell also objected to what he described as "unspecified additional allegations" and an unclear timeline for disclosures of new evidence.

The letter shows the White House last month proposed a hearing for Cook on Oct. 14. Lowell last week responded saying that Cook also wasn't available for that date, according to Tuesday's letter. A White House spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.