# Can private citizens sue the Federal Reserve? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627 "2011-07-02T15:14:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627/1 "2011-07-02T15:14:55Z")
Anonymous has put out a [call for help](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyKE9ZZNPu4&feature=player_embedded) in creating a lawsuit against the Federal Reserve. Regardless of what you think about [Anonymous](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29) and whether this is anything more than cheap propaganda I was wondering if such a thing is even possible. The Fed is an independent bank. They pay for their own operations and the government does not get a direct say in its operations. Still, I can’t imagine that Joe Citizen can sue them for their actions as the Fed would be perpetually litigating an untold number of cases. Is the Fed protected by stature from being sued? Would it be a standing issue that no one could meet to sue them? Something else? Or are they theoretically open to lawsuits? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627/2 "2011-07-02T16:53:18Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Is the Fed protected by **stature** … Doh! :smack: Should be “statute”. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627/3 "2011-07-02T17:24:13Z")
Whatever the statute says, I’m positive that this would fall because of lack of standing, just as the suits for Obama’s birth certificate fails that test. No individual or group of individuals would qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627/4 "2011-07-02T17:32:42Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Anonymous has put out a [call for help](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyKE9ZZNPu4&feature=player_embedded) in creating a lawsuit against the Federal Reserve. Not sure I could answer this question, but is there an explanation of why they believe that they have a case against the Fed that doesn’t involve YouTube videos? I’m curious what the cause of action would be. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-private-citizens-sue-the-federal-reserve/587627/5 "2011-07-03T23:21:50Z")
I can’t represent that the cases I’m citing are definitive, but to the extent that they are, they establish that the individual Federal Reserve Banks [can](http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8518) sue and be sued mostly like private corporations, but the Board of Governors is [protected](http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1256816.html) by sovereign immunity.