Federal Judge William Alsup has ordered the immediate reinstatement of civil servants fired as part of the Trump administration’s government downsizing initiative. The court recognized that the dismissal took place in violation of the law, and called the evidence provided by the government “fictitious”, informs CNN.
The judge ordered six federal agencies — the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury — to immediately reinstate the fired employees. Alsup also noted that this order may be extended to other departments in the future.
The court concluded that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) illegally initiated the firing of probationary employees. The agencies used a standard letter stating that the dismissal was due to poor performance, but the judge saw this as an attempt to circumvent the law.
“The reason OPM tied the firing to performance was, in my opinion, at least in part, a ploy to avoid the Downsizing Act. It’s a sad day when our government fires a good employee on the basis of performance, knowing full well that’s a lie. This shouldn’t have happened in our country. It was a hoax to avoid statutory requirements.” – said Alsup.
In addition, the court criticized the Justice Department for refusing to testify for OPM chief Charles Ezell and for withdrawing a statement that was the government’s only evidence in the case.
