By Michael Woyton
Calling the government’s firing of thousands of probationary status workers a “gimmick” and a “sham,” a federal judge Thursday ordered six federal agencies to rehire the workers.
Judge William J. Alsup, a Clinton-era appointee in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, found “that the Trump administration’s firing of probationary workers had essentially been done unlawfully and by fiat through the Office of Personnel Management,” the New York Times reported.
The Treasury, VA, Agriculture, Defense, Energy and Interior departments were ordered to comply with the order and offer to reinstate anyone who was improperly terminated.
Alsup said what the government did was a “gimmick” contrived to quickly carry out mass firings.
The judge did clarify with lawyers who represented the unions that brought the lawsuit that reduction in force orders being issued at some agencies were “still legal and could go forward,” the Times reported.
Alsup made the ruling after taking issue with the Justice Department not making acting OPM director Charles Ezell testify Thursday, CNN reported.
Ezell was expected to face tough questions from labor union attorneys, but the Justice Department instead withdrew a declaration from Ezell which was the government’s only evidence in the case.
“You’re afraid to do so because you know cross-examination will reveal the truth,” CNN said Alsup told DOJ attorney Kelsey Helland. “I tend to doubt that you’re telling me the truth.”
Where have we heard before that attorneys representing something to do with the felon-in-chief coming into court either not prepared or unwilling to provide evidence they say they have?
It’s almost as if the current administration is trying to do as much damage as possible and hope that no one notices or doesn’t raise too much of a fuss.
Imagine that.
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RFK Jr. is suggesting everyone should get measles. This man, who is not a doctor, will kill us.
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On Second Thought 